Pine Glen Elementary School Principal's Blog

Helpful Web Pages

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:08:00 +0000

Please help pass along these helpful web pages to parents who are new to Pine Glen Elementary School.

Pine Glen Elementary School Web Page

http://pg.bpsk12.org/pages/Pine_Glen_School

Pine Glen Elementary School Principals’ Blog

http://pineglenprincipal.blogspot.com/

Burlington Public School Web Page

http://www.bpsk12.org/pages/Burlington_Public_Schools

Burlington Public Schools Master Calendar

http://www.bpsk12.org/pages/Burlington_Public_Schools/Calendar

Before and After School Programs

http://www.bpsk12.org/pages/Burlington_Public_Schools/Community/Before_and_After_School_Progra

Notice From the PTO

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Hi Everyone,

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! It's hard to believe we're halfway through January--so it's time to think SPRING! The Pine Glen Carnivalis coming in March. This is an exceptional event that is fun for the entire family as well as a vital fundraiser for the school. We need your ideas, creativity, and input – which is what the upcoming meeting is all about. The first meeting will be held on Tuesday 1/24 (weather permitting) at Panera in Burlington @ 7 pm.

This is an amazing event & we need your help & input! Warm up with a cup of tea or soup – while we plan for spring!

Looking forward to seeing you!

Michelle Grossman & Deb Murphy

Carnival Co-Chairs

Please email us & RSVP – so we can plan on how many seats we need to reserve.

Email: healingoasis444@gmail.com &Jdmurphy96@yahoo.com

Notice from BEF

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:40:00 +0000

"Buck Up" for BEF campaign begins January 30, 2012. Drop by your school office any day that week and drop a buck (dollar) or more into the BEF box. Your buck helps fund grants to educators who have great ideas for enriching the classroom experience for every Burlington student. Discover what the Burlington Ed Foundation has supported at your school and help us support the next grant when you drop off your buck!

Food Allergy Awareness Team Of Burlington

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:37:00 +0000

***First Food Allergy Awareness Team meeting of 2012***

Does your child or someone you know have food allergies? Get a chance to share information and ideas related to food allergies with Dr. Conti, Superintendent of the Burlington Public Schools. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 1st at 7:00 pm., at the Burlington Fire Department located in the center of town. Please email Lisa Hovasse at faatob@gmail.com with any questions.

Kindergarten Registration

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:34:00 +0000

PRESS RELEASE

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

Registration of children entering Kindergarten in September, 2012 will be held at the Fox Hill, Memorial, Pine Glen and Francis Wyman Schools on Monday through Friday, February 6, 2012 through February 10, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. each day. A child entering kindergarten must have attained the age of five by August 31, 2012.

At the time of registration, parents are required to bring:

1. Birth certificate for child.

2 Proof of residency in the Town of Burlington. This requirement can be satisfied with the presentation of a lease or a recent utility bill.

3. Medical form must be completed by your family physician, and returned to school two (2) days prior to the opening of school. Children will not be able to attend school in September 2012 unless a complete medical form is provided. Your family physician must detail that your child has been given the following immunizations and also indicate the dates the immunizations were given:

5 doses Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus (DTaP)

4 doses Polio

3 doses Hepatitis B

2 doses Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)

2 doses of Varicella Vaccine or Chicken Pox disease

Proof of Lead Screening

Vision and Hearing Screening

4. Pre-school form will need to be completed by the pre-school provider and returned at the time of your child’s scheduled kindergarten screening in the spring of 2012.

The medical forms can be picked up at registration or by clicking the following link:

http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/com_health/school/health_record_form.pdf

http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/cdc/immunization/record_certificate_of_immunization.pdf

New School Attendance Age Policy

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:04:00 +0000

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AGE

Each child must attend school beginning in September of the calendar year in which he or she attains the age of six (per Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education*). A child entering kindergarten must have attained the age of five by August 31 of that year. Effective January 1, 2012 a child entering:

• First grade must have attained the age of six by August 31 of that year

• Second grade must have attained the age of seven by August 31 of that year

• Third grade must have attained the age of eight by August 31 of that year

• Fourth grade must have attained the age of nine by August 31 of that year

• Fifth grade must have attained the age of ten by August 31 of that year

There are two possible exceptions for consideration:

1. For grades K – 5 students who move into the district: who were enrolled in kindergarten through grade 5 in their prior community and do not meet the above age requirement may be considered for an exemption. (This provision respects a grade level reciprocity for students moving into the district from other public schools within the United States only.)

2. For an exception to be admitted to first grade: for students who do not meet the kindergarten age requirement - if a child turns six years of age between August 31 and October 31, exceptions may be made by the Principal and Superintendent for those children who, in the opinion of the Principal and Superintendent have:

a. Attended and completed a rigorous kindergarten program, and

b. Can demonstrate academic, social, and emotional readiness for first grade in accordance with criteria established by the School Department

All kindergarten exemption requests must be made in writing to the Superintendent’s office by June 1 prior to the child beginning the new school year.

The decision on whether to grant either exception to the age policy can be made only by the Principal and the Superintendent and their decision is final with no further appeal.

Legal Reference: *Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Adopted by the Burlington School Committee: 12/13/11

Notice From Physical Education About Skating

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:53:00 +0000

SKATING NOTICE

Dear Parents/Guardians:

If by chance we end up having a delayed opening tomorrow, Jan. 12^th we will cancel skating for the day. We will try to have a make-up day depending on availability.

Thanks,

Ms. Govoni

Thank You Note From Student to the PTO for Funding the Tide Pool Mural for John Papadonis

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:10:00 +0000

Message from Adopt-A-Class

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:44:00 +0000

Adopt-A-Class 2019 - Tickets are on sale NOW For our "Back to the 80s"
fundraiser on Friday, March 2nd at the Moose Lodge in Woburn. For just $25
enjoy DJ/dancing, great food, cash bar, raffles, silent auctions and 80s
trivia games. Break out the Aqua Net hairspray and your legwarmers!! Send
your $25 check (payable to "Adopt a Class 2019") to school with your child
OR send it to Linda Quinlan at 24 Manhattan Drive, Burlington, MA 01803.
You may also pay ONLINE (advance buyers get 1 raffle entry!):
http://www.franciswymanpto.org/class2019.html.
ALL BURLINGTON PARENTS of 5th graders: Volunteer in the planning and earn
POINTS towards scholarships!! If you are interested, please contact Parent
Coordinator Denise Griffin at denisegri@alumni.tufts.edu or (781)572-6139.

Notes from the Principal

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:10:00 +0000

Today I was walking through kindergarten classrooms and took some pictures of students working at different centers during English Language Arts.

Note from Burlington Early Childhood Center

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:39:00 +0000

The Burlington Early Childhood Center will be hosting an Open House on Friday, January 20, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Burlington High School - where the programs are located. This Open House provides families with an opportunity to view the programs, meet the teachers and pickup registration packets to enroll their children for next year. Students must be 3 years old by August 31, 2011. For more information call Sandy at 781-270-1808.

Note from Knights Of Columbus

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:08:00 +0000

Knights of Columbus-2

Geometry Math Club

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:48:00 +0000

Geometry Flyer PG 2012

A Heartfelt Thank You to the Pine Glen PTO from the LTC

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Callahan) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:25:00 +0000

Dear PTO,

Every good school has a good Parent Teacher Organization supporting it. At Pine Glen, we are fortunate to have a great PTO working tirelessly to bring a high level of enrichment and opportunity to our students.

The Pine Glen Library & Technology Center is especially grateful that you have agreed to support some of our lofty wishes and endeavors. Thank you for the following:

New cushions for the library to encourage browsing, lingering, and exploring
Styluses for the iPads to use with apps that require finer motor control
Headphones for the iPads for when students need to work independently
Volunteering to help run the Fall Scholastic Book Fair where we raised $1,400.00! –and for agreeing to wear those silly alien headbands :)

Thank You PTO!

Thank You for helping to make the Pine Glen LTC the best program possible for our students.

Fondly,
Laura and Dan

PS: Have you seen the Pine Glen LTC blog recently? We've been posting some of our favorite projects there, as well as information for you about the Birthday Book Club and how to find the best apps and books for your children.

Mr. Lyons reading The Polar Express to Kindergarten

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Callahan) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:18:00 +0000

Watch the video.

Principal Notes: Happy Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:20:00 +0000

As principal, I have enjoyed so much this year seeing our students grow socially and academically. Following many students in the building now for two and a half years I have shared in great delight with the teachers seeing their growth.

The joy and excitement I see in young children when they learn something for the first time and are totally engaged in their learning is just as magical as the holidays themselves. What makes childhood special is that it is quick. This was very relevant to me this week when I looked at pictures of my daughters from past holidays. In many ways I would like to preserve this time and never have it stop.

Please take time this holiday season to enjoy the miracle that is children. I hope everyone in our Pine Glen Community has a great holiday break and a Happy New Year! Peace and joy to all and goodwill to all people everywhere!

Winter Concert 1-2-3

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Callahan) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:39:00 +0000

Here's the first, second, and third graders performing in their Winter Concert.

Principal Notes: Learning at Pine Glen on a Typical Friday

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:08:00 +0000

Today I walked through a few classrooms and happened to take some pictures. This is some of the learning I saw talking place on a typical Friday at Pine Glen.

Third graders reading letters they wrote to each other about positive traits their classmates demonstrate.
Third graders learning about time. The students are holding clock manipulatives and the interactive white board is displaying analog and digital time.

Third grade students incorporating sounds into their poems by utilizing an iPad. The interactive white board in the back is used for a model.

Two teachers collaborating on ways to engage students with written expression while integrating technology.

Fourth grade students working at a center during English Language Arts.

Winter Concert

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Callahan) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:07:00 +0000

Watch the video of the Winter Concert.

Note from PTO

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:42:00 +0000

Hi Members,

Pine Glen Art Teacher, Ms. Courtney Fallon, is seated in the main lobby before wonderful artwork that the students created with the school iPads. Fanned in front of Ms. Fallon, is a ream of colored art paper that Pine Glen received by redeeming Coke Rewards points. We would like to thank Laura Kaye, who chairs the program, and everyone who supports it.

As a reminder, you may send in bottle caps or donate points directly by logging onto www.mycokerewards.com. Products include Dasani Water, Powerade, Minute Maid Orange Juice, Nestea, and other Coke-brand sodas. By entering codes found under caps or inside carton boxes, Pine Glen will redeem points for art supplies. You may send in the caps/carton codes to school or log on yourself and enter the codes. Simply log onto the website, click right-hand tab "Donate to Your School", enter 01803 zip code, tab down to "Pine Glen", register and enter codes. Please contact Laura Kaye at LLKayenc@yahoo.com with any questions.

Again, thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Maria Woods and the Pine Glen PTO Board

Note from BHS

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:40:00 +0000

BHS will hold its annual Holiday Concert next Thursday, Dec 15, at 7:30 pm in the Fogelberg Performing Arts Center. Lots of great music performed by the BHS Chorus and Select Singers, BHS Concert Band and BHS Jazz Band. FREE! Handicapped accessible.

Note from Yearbook Committee

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:37:00 +0000

Dear 5th Grade Parents...

Thank you to all who have been able to submit candid pictures for the 5th grade yearbook. We are still collecting pictures and are a long way from finishing. We understand that it is a busy time of year for all, but would appreciate any pictures you can submit prior to the holiday break. If you are unable to do so before the break, maybe there will be some time during the break for you go down memory lane and collect pictures to submit during/after the break.

At this point, we will collect any and all pictures you may have from their K-5 years at school events:
~ Small group photos will work best - please send in pictures with 2 or more kids and/or teachers in each photo.
~ School events can include any and all Field Trips (ie - Kindergarten Swan Boats, 1st Grade Tide Pool, 3rd Grade Duck Boats, 5th Grade Camp Bournedale), Classroom Parties, Halloween, Turkey Trot, Holiday Concerts, Special Assemblies, Special Projects (ie - 3rd Grade Famous Massachusetts Person, 4th Grade Rocket Day and Invention Convention), Field Day, Lunch and Recess...

~ REMINDER: Have your cameras ready for the upcoming Winter Concert on Tuesday night (the 13th).

We can accept any of the following formats for pictures:
~ Email your photos as attachments to: duck19local@photos.flickr.com
If emailing your photos, please be sure to include the names of the kids and grade in the Subject line. There is no need to type a message.

~ Flash Drive
~ CD
~ 4x6 prints (please keep to a minimum)

If sending in any prints, CDs or Flash Drives to school, please mark them as "5th Grade Yearbook" and have your child give the envelope to his/her teacher. All pictures, CDs, and/or Flash Drives will be returned. Please be sure to include your child's name on any item to be returned.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at pgyearbook12@gmail.com.

Thank you again for all your help.
Pine Glen Yearbook Committee
~Dina Accardi
~Katie Capobianco
~Lisa Crowe
~Kristen Downie
~Marie Grinnell
~Lisa MacNeil
~Maria Woods

Progress Reports

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:39:00 +0000

The progress reports you received yesterday were printed using new software and printing machinery. This is the first new progress report for elementary schools in Burlington in seventeen years. We have noticed a few printing errors and formatting errors on attendance and dismissals. We are working on correcting these issues for the next progress report period.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Please remember that there is no school for students tomorrow. I know teachers are looking forward to seeing parents at parent conferences.

Note from the Burlington Food Pantry

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:45:00 +0000

small change can create BIG change

We all have it…maybe in a jar, a junk drawer, a jewelry box, or sometimes it can be found underneath furniture cushions, in an old coat, or in your car.

Let’s gather our spare change just lying around serving no purpose and really make a difference in our community. On behalf of People Helping People and the Burlington Food Pantry, we will be participating in a change drive to raise money to help our families in need.

A five-gallon water bottle will be placed in your school for two weeks beginning Monday, December 5 and ending Friday, December 16. So, if you’ve got coin kicking around…bring it in and drop it in the jug!

Congratulations!

noreply@blogger.com (John Lyons) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:36:00 +0000

Congratulations to Orion Golden who is this year's winner of the "Name the Alligator Contest."

Please check out the Burlington Science Center Blog via the link below to learn more about this and other activities related to science.

Burlington Science Center Blog