[CabotCommunity] Jabberlite 9_19_06

Mon Sep 18 22:08:32 EDT 2006

JABBERLITE   TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th 
Upcoming Dates
A complete & updated calendar for all events for the year can be found at www.cabotpto.org  

September 19, 2006PTO Gift Wrap Sale Begins (thru 10/10)
September 19, 2006Cabot Community Supper, 5 PM Cabot Field (Rain date 9/20)
September 25, 2006Parent to Parent Series, Kindergarten, 8:35AM – 9:30 AM
September 25, 2006School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM
September 26, 2006Back To School Night, 6 PM
October 2, 2006Yom Kippur, NO SCHOOL
October 6, 2006Cabot School Student Pictures (rain date 10/13)
October 9, 2006Columbus Day, NO SCHOOL
October 10, 2006PTO Coffee for all Grades & Meeting, 8:40 AM
October 10, 2006PTO Gift Wrap Orders Due
October 10, 2006School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM
October 13, 2006Rain date for Cabot School Student Pictures
October 14, 2006Coffee Pond Family Photo Day (rain date 10/15)
October 15, 2006Cabot Connecting Families Play date 2-4pm Larz Anderson Park, Brookline 
(rain date 10/22)
October 16, 2006School Council, 6 – 7:30PM
October 19, 2006Parent to Parent Series, K thru 5, 8:35AM – 9:30AM - Overview of Open Circle Curriculum
October 19, 2006Early Release Day, 12:30 PM Dismissal

1st PTO Meeting of the Year – A Great Turnout!
The first PTO meeting of the year had a great turn-out – in fact, so many people came that we had to move outside to the bleachers to fit everyone!  Thank you – it is encouraging to see so many helpful and involved Cabot families able to attend!  We spoke about many items, including the Cabot Community Park and Political Issues regarding the Newton School Committee and our space crunch.  We were addressed by Dr. Quarcoo who informed us that we are 421 students and 75 adult employees strong.  For a complete recap of the meeting, you can check out the minutes, which will be published on our Cabot PTO website shortly.  Don’t forget to join us at our next PTO meeting on Tuesday October 10 at 8:35am in the Library.

Cabot’s Annual Community Supper,
Tuesday September 19th at 5-7pm
Join us TONIGHT for this great annual Cabot family event. Come along with the whole family & don’t worry about cooking dinner for the night! Remember to send in your pizza order forms to ensure we have enough pizzas. Tickets will be on sale only at the event – pizza costs $1.50 a slice, drinks are 50¢ & there is always an array of delicious desserts available for purchase. A variety of school merchandise will also be available for purchase such as Cabot T-shirts, caps etc,. So bring your beach chairs or picnic blanket along to the Cabot field ready to meet other Cabot families & primed for hip-hop & capture the flag! All proceeds benefit the Cabot PTO & helps support the PTO enrichment activities for all Cabot students. 
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT
Mark you calendar for Cabot Back to School night, next Tuesday evening, October 29, 2006.
                        6:00 – 6:45       Grades K-2
                        6:50 – 7:30       Address by Dr. Quarcoo and others
                        7:35 – 8:15       Grades 3 – 5
More details to follow – but we will be treated to a special performance by the Cabot Parent Chorus.  

Cabot Directory Update
Every year the PTO produces a Directory containing an entry for every Cabot family & class lists. This Directory is an invaluable resource when your child comes home after school & declares they want a play date with Johnny!! Now you’ll know not only who Johnny is but how to contact him! The task of compiling all this information is not small & this year Jenny Gamson, our Directory guru & parent volunteer, has been steadily working on the Directory since the summer. If you are a returning family please do take a moment to check your entry in last years Directory & email CHANGES ONLY to Jenny at jenny at seckler.com If you are a family new to Cabot this year we will be sending home in a week or so the entry that will appear in the Directory based on your registration information. Upon receipt please check your entry & send the form back ONLY IF THERE ARE CHANGES in your child’s backpack or put them in the PTO Mailbox in the office. We hope to have the Directories back from the printers ready for distribution in mid October.
Also, like last year we are selling advertising space in the Directory to local businesses. As a Cabot parent if you have a business that you would like to advertise in our Directory contact Rick Reilly, our parent volunteer Advertising Manager - rmreilly at rcn.com 617332 3006. Be aware that copies of the Directory are ONLY distributed to Cabot families.
GIFT WRAP FUNDRAISER
The Cabot PTO Gift Wrap Fundraiser kicks off Tuesday September 19th.  This fundraiser provides an opportunity for the Cabot community to purchase quality Sally Foster gift wrap while raising money for Cabot.  Half of each sale goes to benefit the students at Cabot School.  Sell to friends, family and co-workers. Out-of-towners can support Cabot by ordering wrapping paper on-line. Questions, contact Kate Johnson at kate at textreviews.com.

 LIBRARY COFFEE ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH
Come join Lani Gerson, the Cabot School Librarian, on Monday, September 25th from 8:30am - 9:30am, for coffee in the Library, and learn more about volunteering in your child's library class.  This is a great opportunity to get involved at Cabot.  Questions, please contact Kate Johnson at  kate at textreviews.com.

School store – Opening September 26
Great news – the Cabot School Store will be open every Tuesday morning from 8:10 – 8:30 beginning on September 26, 2006.  Stop by and stock up on Cabot goods and school supplies.  Proceeds benefit 5th Grade Activities.

Newton School Committee News
Space Crunch - Submitted by Sarah Ecker
The enrollment at Cabot is higher than it has been in years and we are running out of classroom space.  Other elementary schools in Newton are experiencing similar overcrowding.  There is discussion of purchasing modular classrooms for installation next fall and some talk about redistricting.

The Newton School Committee heard our concerns about overcrowding last spring and has put together a process for evaluating short term space needs in the elementary schools.  The process and timeline is printed below.  The series of meetings will lead to a set of policy options and a vote in December.

We are looking for parents to attend these evening meetings.  A good turn-out of Cabot parents is essential:  we need to follow the decision-making process, weighing in when required AND we need to visibly demonstrate that we are concerned about what happens at Cabot next year.
Please contact Sarah Ecker (sarahecker at comcast.net) and volunteer to attend a meeting.  Don’t let this effort fall on the shoulders of a few individuals.  Meetings are generally at 7:30 p.m. and run for two hours.
Newton Teachers In Contract Negotiations
You may be aware that all teaching professionals in Newton are currently without a contract & are at this time in negotiations with the City. According to Newton Teachers Association Union President, Cheryl Turgel, members of the NTA have agreed not to volunteer for committees or other events that meet outside of the school day & are not part of their professional responsibilities. They are however completely fulfilling their professional obligations.

Family Picture Day – Appointments available NOW
Appointments are still available for Family Picture Day. You should have already received emails about this event. If you are interested ACT NOW as we share the 3 days offered in October with 7 other schools. For further information contact our parent volunteer coordinator, Sharon Dwyer at 617 641 2342 or jsordwyer at rcn.com  This is a new fundraising event introduced at Cabot this year – all funds generated will benefit the outdoor Cabot Community Park which all students at Cabot will use for recreational & educational purposes. Help support this initiative & worthy cause!

Don’t forget to complete the Welcome Packet!
If you have already completed your welcome Packet – Thank you! If you haven’t, look for the manila envelope that was sent home in your child’s backpack from the PTO containing lots of important information.  Remember to complete the Dues & Volunteer form & return it to the Cabot PTO mailbox in the office or send it into your child’s teacher.  If you need a form, you can download it from our website or get another copy in the office.  Please return these forms by Friday, September 22, 2006. 

Keep in Touch
Our webmaster Mie-Yun Lee has been hard at work updating our website & email distribution system. If you are a new family to Cabot & need to register or if your email changes or you want to add another email to our distribution system, please go to http://cabotpto.org/mailman/listinfo/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org. You will be guided through the steps & will receive a confirmation email to indicate you have been successfully added to the Cabot PTO email distribution list. In the event you have any questions please contact our webmaster, Mie-Yun Lee at mylcabot at gmail.com

On-Line Shoppers & BoxTops for Kids
Not only are we collecting BOXTOPS from many items you may have in your house right now, you can also support the Cabot School PTO when you shop online at the BoxTops for Education Marketplace!  Just go to the Cabot PTO website, click on a store name and start shopping.  Cabot PTO will receive a portion of every sale, and you pay exactly what you would have if you had gone to the site directly. Thanks – and don’t forget to drop off all your paper BOXTOPS in the collection box located in the main lobby.

Summer Helpers
Many thanks go to Betsy Harper, Cabot Parent, for painting the faculty bathroom off the main lobby.  Check it out – it looks great.

We would also like to thank Sally Brickell for arranging the hands-on cleanup and organization of certain classrooms & closets this summer.  Thanks to Jo Doherty, 
Laura Dreese, Sharon Dwyer, Lisa Porter, Sara Goldberg, Ann Manaktala, Mary Kathryn Fallon, Nancy Ferry, Madeleine Ferry, Alyssa Kaplan, Russell Kaplan, Diana Seldin, Cory Stokes and Kayla Wong for rolling up their sleeves and helping out.  

Compiled for you by the Cabot PTO

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Cabot School PTO - 229 Cabot Street - Newtonville, Massachusetts 02460

Mary Kathryn Fallon
Cabot PTO Co-President
10 Worth Circle,
Newton, MA 02458
617-244-1821
MaryKathF at aol.com

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