DRISCOLL SCHOOL GARDEN: Some of our middle school students and parent volunteers will help install three raised organic beds on March 23rd, right against the building by the Four Square on the Washington St. side of the school. We are very proud that one of the beds will be handicap accessible, so all students can make the most of our garden. Our new garden is a fully funded PTO project, which will generate awareness of where food comes from and promote healthy eating.  The garden will be used by all teachers and by after school programs to generate scientific exploration, improve math skills, and drive awareness of proper nutrition and sustainability. We are planning a full school garden assembly, please keep an eye out in the Monday Bulletin and Facebook for more details.

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Arts Equinox is coming April 14 and 15! All students will create a piece of art for our ALL-SCHOOL PROJECT, which will be displayed in the cafeteria. This year’s theme is Patterns. To help out in your child’s classroom, click HERE . All students will be treated to WORKSHOPS and PERFORMANCES by professional artists. In the lineup are drawing, movement, clowning, beatboxing, fiber sculpture, children’s opera, paper quilting, tap and hip-hop dance, storytelling and more. 

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FORUM WITH DR. JOE CONNELLY INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT: Thursday, April 7, at 8:00 am in the Driscoll Cafeteria. Topics include: FY17 Budget, 9th School,  Lawrence / Pierce Principal Searches, Enrollments, and Superintendent Search. All parents are encouraged to attend. 

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BROOKLINE TALKS SPEAKER SERIES Executive Function 101: Strategies and tools for teaching children how to develop independent executive function skills.  An evening with Sarah Ward, Co-Director at Cognitive Connections. Tuesday, March 29th  7:00-8:30 pm in the Heath School Auditorium. Sponsored by Brookline K-8 PTOs (including Driscoll PTO), the Brookline Education Foundation & the Brookline Community Mental Health Center.

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8TH Grade Babysitting and Fundraising Evening at Driscoll. Friday, April 1, 6:00 – 8:30 pm. Fun activities, movies, games and pizza for Pre-K to 5th Graders!!  $20.00/Child  - All funds will be used for 8th grade graduation. For information and to RSVP, please contact Faye Hark (frhark@msn.com)

 

Driscoll News

 

Community News 

PARENTS NEEDED AT SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETINGS: As contract negotiations between Brookline teachers and the town drag on, having parents present at upcoming School Committee meetings - to speak, or just to listen - might spur some progress. Please consider signing up for one or more upcoming meetings, to let both SC and teachers know Brookline parents support a resolution. We owe it to our kids! Contact stand4pierceeducators@gmail.com if you'd like background/talking points. Thank you!

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A Diversity Workshop Series for Families and Young Children: Facilitated by Alicia Hsu. This series of three workshops is designed to engage parents, guardians and their young children in an ongoing, developmentally relevant exploration of racial and cultural identity. The facilitator Alicia Hsu is a retired teacher of Brookline Public Schools, known to be a passionate advocate for underserved and underrepresented students. All sessions will be held at Hunneman Hall in the Public Library of Brookline. For more details, please contact Chris Chanyasulkit at cchanyasulkit@brooklinema.gov. To RSVP for these free sessions, please visit www.tinyurl.com/diversity-workshop-series/.  Please note these are recommended for children ages 3 - 5 but all are welcome.  Each session stands alone, and does not require prior participation. 
Session 2: Celebrating Families (April 2^nd at 10am)
In this session, participants are invited to bring photos of the special people you consider to be part of your family. Be sure to include yourselves! Together, we will share some of the stories, memories and hopes associated with these important people. Children and adults will work together to create a ring of family photos to help tell these stories. There will be time to read, peruse and discuss recommended picture books.

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Brookline’s 6^th Annual Climate Week 2016, Monday, March 28 – Sunday April 3: This year’s Climate Week offers a purposeful weeklong series of events with a goal to inform and foster the will to act on climate change. The week is packed with opportunities for making real change through personal, local, state and national action. All events are free and open to the public and embrace timely opportunities for Brookline and beyond. It takes the efforts of many to sustain the climate movement and ultimately prevail.  Decisions are now being made that will impact us for years to come.  Events especially for kids and families include the 3R Depot: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle And More and  the Youth Climate Adaptation Science Fair set for Saturday, April 2. Details and full schedule:  www.BrooklineClimateWeek.org  #BrooklineClimateWeek  

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March 28th- April 9th LOOK FOR THE YELLOW FLAGS AROUND TOWN 
Town-Wide Scavenger Hunt:  The Nose Knows -Methane Gas Leaks Under Your Feet
Mothers Out Front Brookline presents a scavenger hunt in which participants search for utility flags throughout town marking many of the 350+ methane gas leaks.  Bright yellow flags are marked with an image of a nose and text "Methane Gas Leak Nearby". Details at www.mothersoutfront.org/fixleaksfirst. Or visit our table during Climate Week's 3R Depot on Saturday, April 2nd at Town Hall, 333 Washington Street, 10am-2pm. 

PTO Spotlight:

PTO Spotlight with Rena Sokolow:
(with photos on driscollpto.org)

Q: Tell us about your family. 

A:  Ours is a family of East Coasters. John and I grew up in New York, met on a tiny island off the coast of Maine and got married in Boston. Eric, Lucas and Carl were born in Canada and were happy to meet Louis and Grace when they were born in Brookline. We keep busy by rooting for opposing sports teams, working out, playing soccer, singing and taking family vacations that include both active and restful weeks. We celebrate many holidays, bake for them all and eat really well.

Q: You created the Driscoll School, and PTO logos. Tell us about that process, and your inspiration for the design.
 
A: I am a graphic designer. At one2tree we design books, posters, invitations, brochures, exhibitions and logos. Creating a logo, a graphic that is unique to a company or organization is not as easy as you might think. The computer is my tool, but ideas fuel my projects. I start by brainstorming and making lists. For this project my list included toddlers, 8th graders, notebooks, pencils, books, teachers, dragons, doors, numbers, primary colors and upper and lower case letters. Pages and pages of ideas were put to the test. In the end the suggestion of binder holes and primary colors with a modern lower case d gave the Driscoll School its unique mark.

Q: Do you have any advice for parents interested in becoming involved at Driscoll?

A: I am proud to wear my Driscoll T-shirt and not only because I designed it. Being part of the PTO, especially when kids are young is a great way to connect with other families and to teach kids the importance of volunteering.

Q: Do your kids have a favorite PTO program?

A: The Spring Fair, Arts Equinox and Kids for Kids have been very popular in our house.

Q: Fun Fact: What do you like doing in your free time?

A: In my free time I love to cycle down Beacon Street, into Newton and beyond.




Classifieds: 

Brookline SmartSummers: Brookline SmartSummers 2016 is a summer enrichment program for children ages 5 through 13. Open to Brookline residents and non-residents, we offer a wide variety of educational programs that meet from one to eight weeks. In addition to having lots of fun, children will enjoy indoor and outdoor activities and learn new skills. Programs include: science, computers, arts, puppetry, theater, and more.  http://www.brooklineadulted.org/smartprograms/ Here is a link to the SmartSummers website: http://www.brooklineadulted.org/smartsummers/SmartSummers2015.shtml

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Lincoln School PTO is looking for a Brookline parent expert who can speak on topics of cyber-bullying and prevention, online safety and privacy and sexting. It’s for a Friday morning presentation either onApril 1 or May 6th. Please contact lincolnPTOleaders@lincolnschoolpto.org.

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16th Annual Brookline Warriors Baseball Camp: For boys and girls ages 6 – 15. June 20 -24 and June 27 -  July 1st at Warren Field. Contact Joe Campagna for more information –617-293-5621
Introduction to Parkour, Tuesdays 7-8:30pm at Brookline High:
http://www.campusce.net/brookline/course/course.aspx?C=944&pc=60&mc=77&sc=0

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Introduction to Parkour: Exercise class at Brookline Adult Ed Tuesdays 7-8:30pm at Brookline High:
http://www.campusce.net/brookline/course/course.aspx?C=944&pc=60&mc=77&sc=0

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April Vacation: offered by Brookline SmartVacations. From April 19-22, take part in fun arts and crafts, gym time, computer skills, and theater games. Daylong activities for students ages 5-12. Also, Archery for ages 9-13! Also, look for other enriching classes and programs for children at Brookline SmartPrograms, hosted by Brookline Adult & Community Education. Classes range in topic and length and meet evenings, weekends, and during vacations. Classes are open to everyone. http://www.campusce.net/brooklinesmartprograms/category/category.aspx

 

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