DECEMBER 2005

Volume 25, No. 05, DECEMBER 14, 2005

COMMUNITY

Day P. T. O. -- P. T. O. is committed to enriching students at F. A. Day

Day P. T. O.-- P. T. O. tackles the issue of bullying

Notes From the Principal

Day P. T. O.

P. T. O. is committed to enriching students at F. A. Day

“You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, and with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world.”

-- Woodrow Wilson

Membership Dues Drive Successful!

We are proud to announce that the P. T. O. Membership Dues Drive has exceeded the budget goal with a total of over $15,000. Nearly 50% of the parent community contributed to this effort, and the total collected represents approximately a $20 per pupil allocation. While this may not seem like a lot, it is an excellent start to our fiscal year. P. T. O. thanks every family who contributed to this effort, which will result in programs and resources that enrich our children’s world.

Day Spirit Wear, show your school spirit and look good at the same time!

The P. T. O. will be selling Day Dragon clothing every Wednesday in December during lunch in the cafeteria. Look for the flared-leg sweatpants, hooded sweatshirts and baseball jerseys that caused quite a thrill when they were introduced for sale at Cabaret. New inventory will also be available, including raglan sleeve tees, knit caps, straight-leg sweatpants, and plaid flannel pants, all with the Day Dragon logo or text. Spirit Wear will also be on sale during evening events.

Sing Your Attitude of Gratitude

Letters will be coming home in backpacks this month with an opportunity to express your gratitude to the faculty and staff at Day by donating to the Library Book Fund. This allows families to show appreciation while honoring the no gifts policy at Day. You will be able to recommend a particular topic for which you would like a book or books purchased and an appreciation card will be sent to the faculty or staff person or persons you choose to honor. Your name will also be posted on the school bulletin board as a P. T. O. Champion!

Human Difference Committee sponsoring an all-school reading event!

In an effort to raise awareness in the prevention of bullying, please join us in reading the book THE MISFITS. It is an excellent story about a group of 7th grade kids who are “different”.

Reviewed by one child, “…My opinion of this book is that it shows the personal views of the kids. It is a really good book, with all of the special characters with their individual characteristics. My favorite character is Addie because she always stands up for what she believes in even if everyone makes fun of her…”

We are fortunate to have such a dedicated and powerful team on our Human Difference Committee helping to face the challenge of dealing with negative behavior, an issue that deserves our attention. Copies of the book are available in the Day Library. In January, follow-up discussions for families will be scheduled. More to follow.

Day at Night accepting donations!

We are looking forward to March when we can party together and contribute to the P. T. O. by attending the Day at Night Silent Auction and Dinner Dance. Letters have gone out to past donors, soliciting items for the silent auction, and we hope you will consider donating an item or service that will be put up for bid. Please contact Jane and George Brandi (617-244-9170) or Orry and Janet Panaggio (617-244-2631) if you can help out with contributions or time.

P. T. O. dollars at work!

"Having Fun with Pyramids and Pharaohs", a program selected by the Creative Arts and Sciences Committee, will be enjoyed by the 7th grade this month. This presentation uses over 100 museum reproductions, slides and storytelling to explore the history of ancient Egypt, and serves as an enhancement to the 7th grade social studies curriculum.

Technology Committee revived with exciting new goals!

The new members of the Technology Committee met for the first time in November with the goal of understanding Day’s Technology needs and exploring ways to meet them. Although Day was the first Newton middle school to acquire computers, we are now behind the other schools, and need to update our technology. The Committee will meet again this month, after reviewing the Ed Center Technology plan, and begin to formulate a strategy to update Day’s computers.

School Council makes efforts to improve communications

This year, the School Council is focusing on the School Improvement Plan, specifically offering assistance in the areas of technology, school safety, and multicultural activities at F.A. Day. Members have agreed that more information needs to be shared about the School Council so that the school community is aware of its role. The Council is also working on helping the school publicize activities with the local media -- specifically the Tab and Globe West.

Please watch for school announcements

Please be sure to check with your child for notices coming home in the backpacks. For cost reasons, both the P. T. O. and the school send information home via backpacks, and we rely on parents to look for these communications on a regular basis.

If you are not already receiving the P. T. O. emails, they are another great source of Day information. You can sign up by sending an email to daynews-request@dayPTO.org with a subject of “subscribe”.

Looking Ahead – January calendar

Wednesday, January 18 - P. T. O. meeting on the topic of Homework, Day Library, 7:30PM. Join us for what promises to be an enlightening evening.

Thursday, January 19 - Panel Discussion onBullying, Mason Rice, 7 30 PM. P. T. O. Council sponsored event which will involve a panel of experts. More to follow.

Friday, January 20 - Parents invited, Day Library 7PM.- An opportunity for Boston and Newton parents to mingle during the school dance. More to follow.

Janet and Kim, P. T. O. Co-Presidents

Day P. T. O.

P. T. O. tackles the issue of bullying

by D. B. and H. S.

Focus: Takes the action to learn how to feel good about yourself and Prevent bullying.

The P. T. O. meeting started off in the Day library, with principal Gina Healy explaining about the movie they would be watching, and being “REAL”. “REAL” is an abbreviation for Respect, Excel Academically, And love Learning. The PTO viewed a movie about children at school that are being teased and insulted.

The P. T. O. continued with a speech by Nancy Beardall about a peaceable school. She spoke about how our school can be a peaceable place if parents and teachers can help out when they see a situation.

Following that presentation was a conversation by Jan Sanders about the movie that was going to be shown. After the movie they split up into groups, discussed and brain-stormed what they thought about the movie they just saw. Then they started to share strategies about how they could help the school, and make Day a peaceable place, and a better environment for their children.

The Human Differences Committee announced a all-school reading event centered around the topic. Please join us and read the book THE MISFITS over the winter break. Copies of the book are available in the library. In January, families will be invited to participate in some follow-up discussions involving bullying and conflicts. Watch for more news on dates and times.

The P. T. O. meeting made a forceful point about bullying situation with parents and teachers. Some parents didn't realize what problems were happening in their child's school. They finished with a message that concluded that everyone can have a peaceable place if they all pitch in to help kids with their situations.

Notes From the Principal

Block Scheduling. During the second and third terms our schedule changes to accommodate block scheduling for team subjects. From now until April, team subjects meet four times/week (instead of five), but one of those periods is a double-block (100 minutes.) This schedule does not alter the amount of instructional time in each subject. The advantage to a block schedule includes slowing down the pace of the school day by reducing the number of classes students attend in a given day. Block scheduling also provides teachers and students extended periods of time for “hands-on” activities, laboratory experiences, practice sessions, conferences, and extended discussions that could not be completed in shorter periods. During the fourth term (mid-April) we will return to the more traditional schedule.

Winter Concerts. The band, chorus, and string ensembles have presented winter concerts in early December. The 6th grade concert was on December 7 th and the 7th and 8th graders will perform tonight. Come hear our kids make a joyful noise!

Progress Reports . Second-term progress reports will be sent out during this week: December 12-16. While many teachers will prepare progress reports for all of their students, they are only required to send notices to the parents of those students who is failing a class or whose grade has dropped a whole letter grade. Check those backpacks for progress reports by the end of the week of December 12 th.

2 nd Annual Holiday Assembly. Plans for our second annual Holiday Assembly are underway. The assembly will take place on Friday, December 23 rd, during the last two periods. The chorus and band will feature selections from their winter concert programs, the 7 th grade dance class will perform, their will be a drama selection, and, perhaps, most notable, a faculty choral group will perform. We have several people already on board, but we need your voice. This will be fun!

Communications from school to home. Due to the high cost of mailing, we often send notices home with students. Please ask your child frequently to share such notices with you.

Gift Policy. The policy of the Newton Public Schools discourages gift-giving to individual teachers. If you do wish to send a holiday greeting, I encourage you to send a card or a thank you note. Personal notes are cherished by teachers. Parents may also honor a teacher, department or team in one of these two ways:

·• by donating to the school library through the Josephine Komow Book Fund or the P. T. O.. Materials purchased with these funds are marked with a commemorative bookplate that names the donor and teachers’ names. The P. T. O. sends a card to the teacher stating that a donation has been made in the teacher’s name. Contact Randy Meyer, our school librarian, or the P. T. O. if you are interested.

·• by making a contribution to the Newton Schools Foundation’s, “Honor Thy Teacher” program.

Inclement Weather. It’s winter in New England, and we recommend that students dress for the cold weather. We do our best to have sidewalks and paths cleared, but everyone should be cautious. Parents should be especially careful when driving around the school building, as there may be slippery spots or narrowed roadways. Our children’s safety depends on your cooperation! No school announcements are made through the various media. Check with Superintendent’s memo for more information.