Week of March 3, 2017

In This Issue

Calendar of This Week's Events

Announcements

Pre-Order Books for Kindergarten Author Visit by 3/14
Gamewright Family Game Night 3/24
2nd Annual BEST/PTO Color Run Registration is Open!
Incoming Kindergarten Families Info
Bren Bataclan Paintings Raffle

Volunteer Opportunities

Kindergarten Screening Needs Your Welcoming Smiles!
Color Run Planning Meeting 3/8
Help with our Game Night! 3/24
Community Wide Volunteer Opportunity 4/8
Ongoing Opportunities at Davis and Lane

Community Announcements

Great Road Zoning Project Public Forum 3/4
BHS Class of 2017 Fundraisers 3/7 and 3/19
St. Michael Parish Adult Ed. 3/12
Troop 194 Pancake Breakfast 3/19
Open Arms Open House 3/22
Kamate Fitness Family Fitness

Science if Fun! Free Workshop by BHS Girl Scout! Now - 3/25
Dollars for Scholars Phone-A-Thon 3/4-3/5
Future Bucs All Star Baseball Camp 3/5-3/26
Dr. Nora Shine's "The Talk" 3/7/17
JGMS Guidance Department presents "Screenagers" 3/21
Beginner Volleyball Program, 4/1-4/29
Rotary Club Meals for Kids Meal Packing Event 4/8
Springs Brook Park is Hiring!
MCC College for Kids 7/10-8/17

Welcome to our
weekly newsletter
from the BEST/PTO!

We serve the staff and families of the children in grades K-5
at the Davis and Lane Elementary Schools,
Bedford, MA.

Click Here to fill out our Online Volunteer Survey!

Visit bestpto.org
to learn more!
Like us on Facebook!

If you have a community announcement that you would like to see in a future Bits from BEST,
email us!

Thank you for your support!

Dawn Kociubes
BEST/PTO President
Newsletter Editor
Holly Munsie
VP, Davis School
Sandy Morvillo
VP, Lane School
Audrey Gould,
Treasurer
Nina Tate
Secretary

Calendar of This Week's Events

March 8, 7 PM: Color Run Planning Meeting, 7 PM, Davis Library
March 9, 9:30 AM: Informal Coffee for Parents of Incoming Kindergartners

Save the Dates

March 14: Kindergarten Book Orders Due for Author Visit
March 14, 6:30 PM: Evening Information Session for Parents of Incoming Kindergartners
March 20-27: Kindergarten Screening for Incoming Kindergarteners
March 24, 6:30 PM: Gamewright Family Game Night for Davis and Lane Students!
April 6: Kindergarten Author Visit, Mary Jane Begin
April 8: Rotary Club Meals for Kids Meal Packing Event
May 2: Second Grade Author Visit, David Biedrzycki
May 16: First Grade Author Visit, Brian Lies
June 3, 4 PM: BEST/PTO Color Run
Monday, June 26: BEST/PTO Night at Fenway Park
Future Davis Hospitality Committee Events: 5/2
Future Lane Hospitality Committee Events: 4/5, 6/8
Future 2017 Box Tops Collection Dates: March 24, April 28, and May 26 (Final collection for the school year)

Click for 2016-2017 District Calendar, Davis School Calendar, & Lane School Calendar

Announcements

Friday, March 24
Davis School Cafeteria
6:30 -8 PM

RSVP Here! www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0A4EA8AD2CA46-gamewright

Important Dates for Parents of Incoming Kindergarteners

March 9, 9:30 AM: Informal Coffee for Parents of Incoming Kindergartners
March 14, 6:30 PM: Evening Information Session for Parents of Incoming Kindergartners
March 20-27: Kindergarten Screening

If you have a child that will be 5 before Aug. 31, 2017 and you didn’t get a Kindergarten Registration Packet in the mail in January,
please call the Davis office, 781-275-6804.

Bring home a piece of the new Davis mural! (sort of)

Raffle tickets for these Bren Bataclan original paintings will be available in May during the Davis Spring Concerts and Celebrations of Learning!

Proceeds will be used to purchase a
new kids' art drying rack for the Davis Art Room.
Stay tuned for details!

Volunteer Opportunities

Be a Davis School Ambassador!
Volunteer at Kindergarten Screening!

March 20, 21, 23, 24, 27

Each spring Davis School holds a Kindergarten Screening over a 5 day period to evaluate each incoming kindergartner in several areas. They are seen by teachers to evaluate basic reading and writing skills as well as fine and gross motor skills. They will see the nurses for both an eye exam and a hearing test. Qualifying children will also meet with an ELL instructor and/or an education specialist. Parents interview with the administrators.

BEST’s role is to facilitate the actual process of getting families through the screening procedures. There are multiple volunteer opportunities available across the 5 days.

If you need to drop a child off at pre-school before starting your shift, or leave early for pick up, no problem! Just leave a comment indicating that you will be a little late or need to duck out at a certain time.

To learn more, or to Sign Up to Volunteer Here, click here: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/5080A4BA4A622A75-kindergarten1

Everyone is Invited!

Color Run Planning Meeting

Wednesday, March 8

7 PM

Davis Library

RSVP Here! http://evite.me/XM17hWbKcR

Love to Play Games?

Volunteer at our BEST/PTO
Gamewright Family Game Night!

Friday, March 24
Davis School Cafeteria
6:30 -8 PM
Volunteers needed from 5:45 - 7:15 and 7:00 - 8:30 PM

Sign Up to Help Here! www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0A4EA8AD2CA46-gamewright

Students Helping Students!

A Community-Wide Volunteer Opportunity!

Please consider helping the Rotary pack meals on April 8!

Click Here to Register!

See "Community Announcements" below for more information.

Don't Forget About These
Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities
in the Davis and Lane Schools!

Davis Library Volunteers

Show Mr. Royds and Ms. Sullivan some LOVE!
Sign up for a shift or two in the Davis Library by clicking on the links below!

Davis Library Schedule: https://bestptoma.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/davis-school-library-schedule-2016-17.pdf
March Sign Up: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080d4eaeaf2fab9-davis5

Davis Lunch and Recess Volunteers
Assist during your choice of one hour shifts during the four lunch or recess periods to ensure that students move efficiently throughout the cafeteria and to the rest rooms.
Lunch: 11:05 – 12:10 or 12:05 – 1:10, daily
Recess: 11:30 AM – 12:35 or 12:30 – 1:35, daily
Questions? Email Gretchen Heid at gretchenela@yahoo.com

To see the Davis Lunch and Recess Schedule, click here: https://bestptoma.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/davis-lunch-and-recess-schedule-16-171.pdf

Davis Lunch March Sign Up Link: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c094fa5af23abf49-march

Davis Recess March Sign Up Link: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c094fa5af23abf49-march1

Lane Lunch Volunteers
Assist during lunch periods to ensure that students move efficiently throughout the cafeteria and to the restrooms.
Questions? Email Pam O'Brien at pdob@comcast.net

March

Grade 3: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b054eadad22a64-march
Grade 4: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b054eadad22a64-march1
Grade 5: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b054eadad22a64-march2

New Community Announcements

Boy Scout Troop 194

5th ANNUAL
ST. PATRICK'S DAY IRISH PANCAKE BREAKFAST

SUNDAY, 3/19/17
08:00 - 12:00

AMERICAN LEGION HALL
357 GREAT RD.
BEDFORD, MA

Pancakes, Juice, Coffee, Sausage…There are also some kids games- and background music.

I heard there might be some green pancakes available for those inclined!

ADVANCE TICKET PRICES: $5/ADULT, $4/YOUTH (AGES 4-9)

(ADVANCE TICKETS MAY BE PURCHASED UNTIL 3/14/17)

AT THE DOOR TICKET PRICES: $6/ADULT, $5/YOUTH (AGES 4-9)

QUESTIONS?
Contact Peter Ricci BedfordRiccis@Verizon.net

See your Community Announcement Here!
Email best.pto.bedford@gmail.com
Deadline: Thursday evening of each week

Repeat Community Announcements

BEDFORD CSF Phone-A-Thon To Be Held

Saturday & Sunday,
March 4^th & March 5th

The CSF of Bedford Dollars for Scholars Phone-a-thon for the annual scholarship fund will be held March 4^th & March 5th. The drive will benefit Bedford High School graduates from the town and Hanscom AFB community. BHS student volunteers will use the business telephones of MITRE Corp, 202 Burlington Rd., to seek pledges. This Phone-a-thon is the major fundraiser for CSF scholarships. All awards are based on merit with amount determined by need. Contact Alma Pomponi at 781-275-0375 with any questions or visit our website at www.bedfordma.dollarsforscholars.org for more details.

Janet Werth, CSF President

Contact: Alma Pomponi
12 Overlook Drive, Bedford
781-275-0375

Please Join us for viewing of “SCREENAGERS”:

Please join the Guidance Department at John Glenn Middle School for a viewing of the award-winning documentary film, “Screenagers” on

Tuesday, March 21^st at 6:30 pm.
JGMS auditorium.

Students and parents are invited to the event and students will be offered some extra credit opportunities for attending (for older students)! There will be a short question and answer period following the film and additional resources will be provided to parents.
For more information on the film you can check out the website here: http://www.screenagersmovie.com/
Or feel free to contact a JGMS guidance counselor for more information!

Special 4-session
Beginner Volleyball Program
for kids 8 -12 years of age to be offered in Bedford by Gators Volleyball Club.

Great for girls or boys who want to start learning how to play the game. No experience is necessary.

Saturdays at 10:30am-12:30pm at the Lane Elementary School in Bedford, on April 1, April 8, April 22, and April 29. The head coach will be Nancy Hartmann.
(There also will be a separate intermediate-level program for kids 13 – 15.)
Go to http://gatorsvolleyball.com/weekly-skills-program/
for all the details and to register.

The Rotary Club is holding its
5th Meals for Kids Meal Packing Event
Middlesex Community College
April 8, 2017

Last year with the help of students from the Lane and Davis Schools we exceeded a quarter million meals packed!

In many parts of the world, schools close at noon because no lunch for the children can be provided. In those same countries the school lunch is the only food those children eat that day. Often there is little or no food for the weekend. To prevent hunger pain, eating cookies made from mud is not uncommon. I personally saw this happening in Haiti where now several shipments are sent each year.

We need 500 helpers from age 4 to 94. Those that helped during one of the two hour shifts last year were just fantastic. This is truly a meaningful family sharing event.
We have already raised nearly enough money. WE JUST NEED HELP PACKING!!

Ralph Hammond, The Rotary Club

Springs Brook Park is hiring!

If you or someone you know are looking for a summer job, check out the open positions listed here:

Summer Jobs at Springs Brook Park: Aquatics Director, Assistant Director, Life Guards, Swim Instructors, and Part-time Jobs for Bedford Teens - The Bedford Citizen

Don't Forget About These Ongoing Ways to
Support BEST/PTO and our Schools

Order Bedford Spirit Wear right from the BEST/PTO Website!
Register your Stop and Shop card for A+ Rewards!
Start your Amazon.com shopping at Amazon Smile!
Clip those Box Tops!
Support all four schools through the Bedford Education Foundation (BEF)!
Support JGMS through the MSPA!
Support Bedford High School through the BHSPA!