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Hardy Happenings
September/October 2017
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We hope everyone has had an exciting start to the school year! Before we dive in, a word about our newsletter plan for this year. Each month, you will receive an email newsletter like this. We may send periodic additional emails throughout the month to highlight specific events.
Additionally, each child will receive a one-page notice in their backpacks each month. The front of the notice will have a “digest” version of this newsletter, and the back will contain a calendar for the month ahead.
Please email PTONewsletter@hardyschool.com if you have any questions. Also, please take a moment to...
CLICK HERE NOW
TO CONFIRM YOUR SUBSCRIPTION
TO THE PTO E-NEWSLETTER! |
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The Next Big Thing
What: Hardy Harvest Fest
When: Saturday, 10/14, 1-4 pm
Where: Lake Street Lawn
At this fun fall event, pumpkins, potted mums, apple cider, and donuts will be for sale to benefit the school, and pumpkin-painting will put the kids in the fall spirit! Here’s how you can get involved:
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 Mark Your Calendars
- Next PTO Meeting is Tuesday, October 3 at 6:30 in the Hardy Library. The minutes from the previous meeting can be found here.
- International Walk to School Day is Wednesday, October 4. Look for PTO tables for safety tips and a gift for our walkers! Click here to volunteer to help staff a table at morning drop-off!
- Come meet your Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) to get involved in the planning, development, and evaluation of special education programs in town. The next monthly meeting is October 10, 7-8pm at the Ottoson Middle School Media Center. For more information, visit www.arlington.k12.ma.us/SEPAC or email arlingtonsepac@gmail.com.
- PTO will be meeting with School Council at an upcoming PTO Monthly Meeting to discuss plans for the Hardy Playground, and get updates on the building project. We will announce the specific date in advance.
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Save the Date
What: Hardy Book Fair
When: Monday-Friday, November 13-17
Where: Hardy Library
November’s signature PTO event is a beloved favorite—the Hardy Book Fair! Your child will attend the fair and have a chance to shop for top-notch titles during his or her class’s library time. But the Book Fair is also fun for the whole family!
- Parent volunteers staff the fair each day.
- The fair will be open for an hour after school on Tuesday, November 14.
- An evening event will combine the Book Fair with a free cafe-style bakery party!
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Don't Pitch Out...Pitch In!
 Box Tops = Money for Hardy School: Did you know that through Box Tops for Education, Hardy School will receive 10 cents for every box top families donate in the collection boxes at the front entrance?- Crayola ColorCycle Program: Bring your used markers to the Hardy office at any time to participate in our Crayola ColorCycle program, which recycles used markers and turns them into energy! The markers do not need to be Crayola brand.
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Hardy Family Directory--
Count Yourself In!
It is time to update your family information for the PTO Parent Directory! It is a great resource for making playdates or tracking down homework assignments. When a student wants to invite all of their classmates to a party, this is the place they turn. Enter your information today to be part of this important parent resource.
We are using a new system this year, so every family should check their information at https://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/ptodirectory. This is the same system used by Ottoson and most of the other grade schools, so families with middle school kids can enter their family information all in one place, and that information will stay in the system as your child progresses from Hardy to Ottoson.
If you would like to exclude your family information from the Hardy directory, you can do that through the same interface. Please check or add your information by October 1.
If you have any questions, please email Pete Gast at petegast@gmail.com. |
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Arlington Community News
 What: Cub Scout Pack 313 Recruit Night
Who: Boys in Grades 1-5
Where: St. Camillus Church Hall, 1175 Concord Turnpike, Arlington
When: September 22, 7-8:30 pm
For more, please visit http://www.Arlingtoncubs313.com
What: Discover Girl Scouts Event
Who: Girls in Grades K-12
Where: Camp Cedar Hill, 265 Beaver St. Waltham
When: September 23, 2-4 pm
For more, please email Molly Kazin, mkazin@gsema.org, or visit http://www.gsema.org/en/about-girl-scouts/join.html
What: Friends of Waldo Park Movie Night
Who: Everyone who wants to see Moana and hear live music from the local brass band the Grüvmeiners!
Where: Waldo Park, Arlington (at the end of Teel St.)
When: September 23, 6 pm (music) and 7 pm (movie)
What: O2 Breathe Walk of Boston (“Team Mimi” for Hardy 4th Grader)
Who: Friends and supporters of 4th grader Mimi McNiff (sister of 2nd grader Stella), who has a very serious, life-threatening/shortening disease without a cure, pulmonary hypertension. The walk is an easy 1-mile route along the river with a great playground in the middle. A local dance studio, Lynn and Jen’s, will have their competition dance team perform. Mimi will be joining in for a performance as well!
Where: North Point Park, Cambridge (opposite the Museum of Science)
When: October 8, 8:30 am
For more information, to donate to “Team Mimi,” or to register for the walk, please visit https://www.crowdrise.com/Team-Mimi1
To submit an item for Arlington Community News, please email Holly Rossi (PTONewsletter@hardyschool.com) and Terry Holt (hardyptopresident@gmail.com)
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Principal's Message
 Welcome to the new school year Hardy Families!
I am so looking forward to helping our community " Think Like Leaders" as we move through the school year. Staff and students will be thinking about leadership qualities on which to focus. All of us are very excited about this. I am also looking forward to taking Out and About to Instagram! I will talk more about this at Open House Night. We are in store for a great year and I am very thankful to this community for being such a big part of that!
Happy School Year!
- Kristin DeFrancisco
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Staff Spotlight On:
Secretary Potoula Angelakis
 Potoula Angelakis is starting her second full year at Hardy School as the secretary whose smiling face greets you when you walk into the office. We asked Potoula three questions to help the Hardy community get to know her better:
Q: What is your favorite memory from when you were in elementary school?
A: My favorite memory is of my fourth grade teacher, who noticed my love of math and took the time to provide work for me that was more challenging and fun!
Q: What is your favorite part of the school day?
A: I am an avid reader, so library time was one of my favorite times of the week. I loved checking out new books and curling up into a corner of the room where I could read.
Q: What do you hope parents and kids experience when they walk into the Hardy School office?
A: I hope they feel welcome when they come into the office. It should be a place where they can come to ask questions and gather information regarding the Hardy School and its happenings. I am always willing to help students and their families when I can, and when it's not possible, I do my best to redirect them accordingly. I also hope they see a friendly and safe place to be when they walk into the office. Most of all, I hope students and their families feel happy when they walk into the office, and content when they leave because all of their questions have been answered and concerns/worries laid to rest.
In each issue, we will spotlight a Hardy School staff member. Nominate someone to be featured by emailing PTONewsletter@hardyschool.com.
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PTO Spotlight On:
President Terry Holt
 Our PTO President for the 2017/2018 school year came on board this summer, but she's been helping out with PTO for a few years now. Terry has two Hardy alumnae--who are now in 10th grade and 8th grade--and a 2nd grader. She and her spouse Allison have been part of the community since 2010. Her background is in communications and she spends a lot of her time organizing staff for an annual sci-fi & fantasy convention held in Boston, reading, driving kids around, playing games, and training for long-distance swims and bike rides. Her favorite Hardy event is the Walk-a-Thon.
In each issue, we will spotlight a PTO member. Nominate someone to be featured by emailing PTONewsletter@hardyschool.com.
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Get to Know Your PTO
Click here for the full list of PTO committee members and volunteer leaders.
Click here to review the minutes of past PTO meetings.
Reach out to us at hardyptopresident@gmail.com to get involved, or join us at our next meeting, Tuesday, October 3 at 6:30 pm in the Hardy library!
Officers
• President Terry Holt (hardyptopresident@gmail.com)
• VP of Committees You? Open position!
• VP of Fundraising Kate Leary (kleary@gmail.com)
• VP of Fundraising Patsy O’Brien (patsy@avalon-ventures.com)
• Treasurer Hemant Verma (hemu4085@gmail.com)
• Co-Secretary Rebecca Saff (saff.rebecca@gmail.com)
• Co-Secretary Roslyn Fitzgerald (beanaway@yahoo.com.au)
• Newsletter Coordinator Holly Rossi (PTONewsletter@hardyschool.com)
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We Appreciate Our Volunteers!
 The school year got off to a wonderful start, thanks to our team of volunteers who made teachers, parents, and kids feel welcomed, supported, and ready for fun and learning!
This month’s thanks go out to some special volunteers who wore many hats in September:
Ann Chhabra for collecting money and purchasing supplies for the PTO School Supply Drive; recruiting room parents and educating them about their roles; and helping with the teacher’s lounge design refresh
Patsy O’Brien for organizing the “Welcome Back” luncheon for teachers, and coordinating donations and organizing the teacher’s lounge design refresh
Annie Clarke-Lauer for helping with the teacher’s lounge design refresh
Terry Holt and Kate Leary for recruiting bakers and communicating weather delays for both 1-5 and Kindergarten Welcome Coffees
Daniel Jalkut, Chrissa Banner, Ann Coleman, and Terry Holt for serving as tour guides for kindergarten parents
Stewart Ikeda for helping to design the PTO’s new electronic newsletter
A super-big thank you to Aimee Lim-Miller for her hard work on the Ice Cream Social, which was amazing until the weather literally rained on our parade. We were not able to reschedule due to the failure of a major appliance, but we'll try again next year!
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