DASA Registration Opened October 1st!
DASA registration opened on October 1st. There are still spaces in a few classes including in the two DASA gardening classes:
Garden Guardians (2nd-4th)
Stewardship Crew (5th-8th)
Check available classes and register for classes here:
http://driscollafterschool.weebly.com
How can you help the Driscoll PTO?
Every parent and caregiver, along with every teacher, is automatically part of the Driscoll PTO; it is up to you to decide how active a member you will be. The PTO is your voice and venue to be involved and heard, but without parent support we cannot continue to offer the level of programming that all of our families have come to depend on. There are numerous ways to get involved with the PTO: on a one time basis at one of the various parent-run events held throughout the year, or on a more regular basis through one of the event committees or Executive Board. Our goal is to have every family volunteer at least one time a year.
We are currently looking for help with the following open positions:
Early Release Movies Coordinator (2 Open Positions): The PTO offers movies on Early Release Days (four times in the Fall and four times in the Spring). This both allows parents the convenience of picking up their children at the normal pickup time, and raises money for the PTO. We are looking for people who can be responsible for the movies, from purchasing snack and supplies beforehand, to working with the Volunteer Coordinator to line up parent volunteers to staff the movies. (It is important that any volunteers are able to be at school for all of the early release days).
We are offering an incentive for parents volunteering for this position: both of the Early Release Movie Coordinators will receive free movie enrollment for their children. If we do not find volunteers for the Early Release movies, we may not be able to continue to offer them.
Spring Fair Committee Chairs (1 Open Position): The Spring Fair is one of our most popular events, and is held every May. We are looking for two parents, preferably with younger children, to join our Spring Fair committee to replace parents whose children have moved onto high school. They will be working with the existing committee chairs to help organize and carry out the Spring Fair, from dealing with food and ride vendors, recruiting parent volunteers, and more. (It is important that any volunteers can be at school for the entire day of the Spring Fair to assist with setup).
Arts Equinox Committee Chairs (2 Open Positions): Arts Equinox is a two-day celebration of the arts and a beloved tradition in the Driscoll community. Parents lead workshops in student classes, professional artists visit Driscoll to conduct hands-on workshops, and some students travel to venues in the community for a one-of-a-kind experience. We are looking for two parents to join our Arts Equinox committee to support the existing committee chairs to help organize and carry out this amazing event (It is important that any volunteers can be at school for both days of Arts Equinox).
If you have any questions, please feel free to email our Volunteer Coordinator, at driscollvolunteer@gmail.com.
The Joy of Discovery: Inspiring the Scientists of Tomorrow
Friday, December 6 - The Driscoll School community will celebrate a long-standing annual event and tradition known as Science Solstice Day. Science is an adventure and on this special day the ENTIRE school participates is this amazing science filled and fun day! Students engage in hands on activities and enjoy exploring how our World works. This fulfilling day of scientific thinking and discovery is focused on inspiring students to develop a vision of themselves as scientists. Students in grades K to 5 are “wow’ed” by custom classroom scientific activities while grades 6 to 8 travel off site to meet actual scientists in the field to see how teams of scientists share the common purpose to serve society and work together towards a common goal. I am certain the day will prove to be a meaningful experience for all! Now is the time to sign-up as an on-site volunteer OR as an off-site host (usually at your place of work/facility) to make this wonderful event possible. Grades K-5 on-site volunteer contact: Meenhakshi Garodia mgarodia@gmail.com Grades 6-8 off-site host contact: Mary Lochner Hurwitz marylochner@hotmail.com, or Len Wholey lwholey@gmail.com Please respond by September 30, 2019 if you wish to be an off-site host.
From the Library
We have our first author visit coming up! Coretta Scott King award winning author Lese Cline-Ransome will be visiting with grades 3-5 on Friday, October 25. She is the author of many award-winning and critically acclaimed nonfiction books for young readers, including biographies of Pele, Venus and Serena Williams, and Harriet Tubman. She is also the author of the novel Finding Langston, which received a Coretta Scott King Honor Award and five starred reviews. More information available on the library website here, including book order forms, which are due Friday, October 11.
So many good literary events this fall! The Boston Book Festival will back October 19 and 20, with a great lineup of authors, including Grace Lin and Ryan T. Higgins. Visit the BBF website here. The Brookline Booksmith has had an amazing slate of authors visiting this fall, including Because of Winn Dixie’s Kate DiCamillo on November 3. Tickets are required and available here. And finally, the Public Library of Brookline’s annual Hogwarts at the Library is back again this year. Click here for more information, including how to register for this fabulous event.
Happy reading!
Ms. Reid, LibrariaN
anne_reid@psbma.org
"Second Tuesday Coffee" with the PTO, 10/8 at 8 AM
This month our "First Tuesday" Coffee with the PTO will fall on the Second Tuesday: October 8th. Join us from 8 - 9 AM in Driscoll's Amy Neale Library, as we host a conversation with Principal Suzie Talukdar. There will also be a short presentation from the Child Assault Prevention Program (CAP). We hope to see you there!
Looking for Volunteers for Understanding Our Differences
Every year, our fourth graders experience the Understanding Our Differences program. This is an interactive disability awareness curriculum that teaches children to see the whole person and better understand a disability. The topics will be Physical Disabilities, Intellectual Disabilities, the Spectrum of Vision, and Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
This is an amazing program that the kids get so much out of, but we cannot make it happen without your help! We are in need of at least five volunteers from 8-10:30 AM on one or more of the scheduled mornings:
Monday, October 7
Monday, November 25
Monday, December 2
Monday, December 9
You can sign up right now at SignUp Genius:
Understanding Our Differences. Please note that while only fourth grade students experience this program, we are grateful for volunteers from any grade.
Volunteering entails attending a brief training before school about a week or so before the date, for about 15 minutes at drop off time. Parents can alternatively train themselves by reviewing the materials online or make a separate time to meet with Alison Schonwald. Please contact Alison Schonwald at
alisonschon69@gmail.com if you have any questions!
Box Tops
Box Tops now has a new and simpler way to earn cash for our school! They’ve launched a user-friendly mobile Box Tops App which allows you to scan store receipts and automatically claim the participating products for Box Tops for Driscoll. It is very easy to use and instantly adds Box Tops to your school’s earnings online. This app will help us keep earning money for Driscoll on an ongoing basis.
You can find more information in the link: https://www.boxtops4education.com/About and in the following the video: https://youtu.be/Hh94b2BvFK4
All paper Box Tops clips can be still be submitted for credit until the paper program is completely discontinued. The collection boxes for the paper Box Tops clips is at the Driscoll School Amy Neale Library. Each Box Top is worth 10¢ for our school, and Bonus Box Tops are worth more. The earnings from Box Tops go to the PTO for the library fund.
For more information on Box Tops, including a list of participating products, go to BTFE.com. Be sure to sign up as a member (it’s free!) so you can check out our school’s earnings details and get access to coupons and bonus offers.
The next submission deadline for Box Tops is November 1st 2019 for Fall and March 1st 2020 for Spring. Please keep these dates in mind.
If you are a Box Tops collector, please download and start using this app. If you aren’t yet a collector, please consider becoming one!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me or Amy Grayson. We are here to help make our school’s Box Tops for Education™ program a success.
Thank you for your consideration and help!
Coordinator name: Oyku Bonnafoux ; Amy Grayson
Phone: 617-650-6078
Email: yqoykuk2@gmail.com; acrgrayson@gmail.com
Community News:
Indigenous People's Day Celebration:
Please join the Brookline Indigenous People’s Day Committee and the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations to celebrate, honor, and commemorate the shared history and culture of Indigenous People.
Date: Monday October 14th, 2019
When: 1-3PM
Where: Brookline Coolidge Corner School (Cafeteria) - 345 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446
Enjoy Indigenous food provided by Harm Free Eats, support local Indigenous artists and craftspeople, and learn about the history of Indigenous People in Brookline and throughout Massachusetts. If you have any questions, or would like more information please contact Caitlin Starr, CDE at 617-730-2345 or at cstarr@brooklinema.gov.
Girls Who Code
We invite girls in grades 5 through 12 to sign up for our Wednesday 6:30-8:30 PM weekly Girls Who Code club meetings. Join us for a meet and greet Monday, October 7 at 6:30 PM. Club sessions will start Wednesday, October 16 at 6:30 PM in the Teen Room at the Brookline Village Library. Our facilitators will mentor and inspire, educate and equip members with the computing skills to pursue 21st-century opportunities. Details and sign up at
https://brklib.com/girlswhocode.
Brookline Park, Recreation and Athletic Field Survey
The Brookline Park, Recreation and Athletic Fields survey is now open to all residents and available at
Brooklinesurvey.org/open! If you have received a copy of the survey, please return it via mail or use the URL and code specified in the letter. The survey is the same, but the results will be reported separately. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Hogwarts at the Library
Brookline, MA October 2—The Public Library of Brookline is pleased to announce that the fourth annual Hogwarts at the Library event will take place on Sunday, November 10. The Brookline Village Library will be transformed into Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley for a day of magical activities. Hogwarts at the Library will feature owl post, wand dueling, craft activities, a photo booth, and much more. There will be an afternoon session (noon-6 PM) for children and families, as well as an evening session (7-9 PM, with an extra Knockturn Alley haunted house) for teens and adults. Hogwarts at the Library is free, however registration is required. Sign-up begins on Wednesday, October 16, at 6 PM. To register, please visit brklib.com/hogwarts.
For more information, please call Lily Weitzman at 617-730-2370 or email lweitzman@minlib.net.
Save the date for The Truth About Vaping - October 28th
From nicotine addiction to life-threatening respiratory illness, the health risks of e-cigarettes (vapes, juuls) have been all over the news lately, and Brookline is not immune. In fact, vaping among our middle and high school students is on the rise. What do parents need to know? And what can we do to help our kids fully understand that these products are not harmless? Through the generosity of a Brookline community member in collaboration with PSB/ BHS Counseling-Guidance Department, Caron Treatment Centers will present a special informational parent event on October 28 at 7 p.m. in the Brookline High School Auditorium.
Save the date!
HOPE FOR KIDS:
My name is Nikky Agba, a former Driscoll parent. I am working with Hope For Kids, a project whose mission is geared towards helping to provide clothing to Kids and their families in villages in Nigeria, Africa. We are having a clothing drive until Dec. 15 and we ask that you consider donating your used (infants/children/adults) clothing, shoes, bags etc. We have a collection box in the hallway across from the "Lost and Found area". For further information please contact me at
617-566-4725 or email me at
agbanikky@gmail.com
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