[CabotCommunity] Cabot E-Jabberwock, Issue 2, November 21, 2006

Tue Nov 21 17:01:29 EST 2006

This email will be posted as a word document in the next few days on the Cabot PTO website, www.cabotpto.org if you would like to print a copy with all the bells and whistles (and Clip Art). Our thanks to Ann Duvall, the editor of this issue.

  Cabot School
e-Jabberwock

         Issue 2  - November 21, 2006

Respect for Self and Others    Lifelong Learning   Commitment to School & Community

Cabot School Contact Information 
• Main Office: 617-559-9400   • CASP: 617-964-2749        
• Nurse:          617-559-9404   • Inclusion Facilitator:  617-559-9409
• Gym:            617-559-9407  • Food Service:   617-559-9021/6315
• Library:        617-559-9406  • Psychologist & Social Worker: 617-559-9405

• Call Back/Safe Arrival: 617-559-9390 Call by 8:20 a.m. to report tardiness & 
   absences

Cabot School website       www.newton.mec.edu/cabot/
Cabot School PTO             www.cabotpto.org
Newton Public Schools     www.newtonpublicschools.com

 Calendar
 November 20, 2006School Council 6-7:30 PM
November 20, 2006METCO Parents' Council Meeting 7 - 9:00 PM Roxbury
November 20, 2006School Committee Caucus 7:00 PM
November 21, 2006Autumn Fest, 11 AM
November 22, 200612:00 Noon Dismissal for Thanksgiving
November 23 & 24, 2006Thanksgiving, NO SCHOOL
November 27, 2006School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM
December 6, 2006PTO Learning Express Fundraiser
December 11, 2006School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM
December 14, 2006Early Release Day, 12:30 PM Dismissal
December 15, 2006Hanukkah Begins at Sundown
December 19, 2006Affinity Group
December 19, 2006CASP Play 7:00 - 8:00PM
December 20, 2006CASP Play 7:00 - 8:00PM
December 22, 2006CASP Play for School
December 25-Jan 1, 2006Vacation, NO SCHOOL
December 26, 2006Kwanzaa

 Marilynne’s Message

Parent-Teacher Conferences  All teachers in grades K-5 will be asking parents/guardians to join them for the first formal parent/teacher conference this school year between now and the winter break. As teachers begin preparations for these meetings parents need to think about how they can prepare as well. Andrea Canter, Ph.D., and NCSP prepared these tips for the National Association of School Psychologists. In part based upon Martin and Waltman-Greenwood, Solve Your Child's School-Related Problems (chapter 2, A Parent's Primer). 
A guide for parents from TeachersAndFamilies.com
Preparing for A Parent-Teacher Conference
At least once per year, and frequently each semester or more often, parents receive a notice of a parent-teacher conference. Perhaps you have requested the conference yourself. There are many steps you can take to assure that the conference is productive and positive:
·        Assemble relevant materials to help prepare for the conference. This could include records from previous schools and school years, such as report cards, test scores, immunization and other health records, and past and current correspondence between home and school. 
·        Review these materials to see if anything important is missing, and then see if you can find the missing material. Once you have started a collection of your child's records, it is easy to add new material each year. At conference time, if you or the teacher has specific concerns, you can then find whatever might be important to share with the teacher. 
·        Talk with your child before the conference. Children should understand why the conference is taking place (is it due to a problem or is it a routine meeting held for all parents?) and be assured that parents are seeking ways to help and learn about what their children are doing in school. Find out if your child has any specific concerns about schoolwork or relationships with classmates. 
·        If your district, school or classroom has a handbook for students, be sure to obtain a copy well ahead of the conference and review it. In particular look for listings of expectations for behavior and attendance so that you might anticipate some questions from teachers or so that you might consider questions you want to ask. 
·        If your child has brought home homework, be sure you are familiar with the assignments and how your child has been performing. Is the work getting done? Does your child seem to understand the assignments? Does the work seem too easy or too difficult? 
·        Prepare a list of questions you want to ask your child's teacher: Is my child meeting expectations for learning and behavior? How has my child performed on daily class assignments, on tests, on homework assignments? How does my child compare to others in basic skills? Does my child follow school rules or does he/she exhibit any behavior problems? If my child is struggling in any area, what has been tried to improve performance? Does my child pay attention in class? What else can be done at home or at school? What are my child's strengths? Are there any concerns about my child's health, adjustment? Are there materials or resources that you would recommend? 
·        If you or the teacher has concerns about referral to special education, find out about your rights ahead of time. State and community agencies and advocate organizations can provide this information, and all schools should also have a printed copy of parents' rights under state and federal law. 
·        Be ready to collaborate, not attack or defend! Generally teachers will give parents bad news because they want to help the child do better, not to place blame on the parent or child. But sometimes the message does not come across that way and parents naturally become defensive and protective, maybe even angry. Assume the teacher has your child's best interests in mind and respond calmly and tactfully. Indicate that you are most concerned with solving the problem and helping your child succeed. Offer to meet further to discuss the problem and work out a solution. Remember that teachers are often as afraid to deliver bad news as parents are to hear it! 
·        You want to hear good news about your child. If the teacher does not offer any positive comments, ask directly! ("What does my child do well?) And remember that teachers often hear only negative comments too. Be sure to try to offer a compliment, a thank-you, etc. to let the teacher know you appreciate what they are trying to do to help your child-even when it doesn't seem to be working. 
·        Don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't understand something or feel your concerns are not being addressed. Teachers and other educators easily slip into jargon and forget that many parents are not familiar with the terms they use every day. Ask what test scores mean and what the results mean for your child. Stop and ask for explanation of unfamiliar terms or programs. Not understanding can quickly lead to misunderstanding! 
·        Find more content for parents and families at: 
www. teachersandfamilies.com Copyright © 2002 by The Network for Instructional TV - All rights reserved. 

Physical Education, Health and Wellness: Maybe you heard about the smashing success of this year’s Fifth Grade Circus. From all reports this was one of the best. Our circus performers have raised the bar for years to come. Our audience was in their element under the Cabot Tent. I even heard that parents got in touch with their childhood. Fun and learning was had by all!
But did you hear that the Newton Public Schools has received a grant to support the development of children. Read on…
NEWTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AWARDED $1 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS
Newton Public Schools has been awarded a $1,024,842 three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education for the Carol M. White Physical Education Program (CFDA # 84.184F). Newton is one of 54 districts in the country to receive a grant award. According to Dr. Jeffrey M. Young, Superintendent of Schools, “This grant will go a long way to ensuring that our students have cutting edge programs and equipment for health and wellness lessons that will last a lifetime.” As required by the federal government, Newton Public Schools will provide matching funds of $244,587 over three years, including in-kind contributions such as those comprised of existing staff salaries. 
The grant project, entitled, “Teaching Children Today for a Lifetime of Health and Wellness,” will allow Newton to systematically revise its current physical education curriculum, helping students to meet state standards for physical education, health and wellness. The goals for this grant project are to provide K-12 fitness education and assessments, help students develop healthy nutritional habits, incorporate an adventure philosophy and curriculum in the Newton Public Schools program, and help students understand the importance of an active lifestyle as a means to achieve academic excellence.
Adapted physical education professional training and new equipment will enable students with special needs to maximize their participation in physical education, health and wellness. The Newton Public Schools’ Physical Education, Health and Wellness Curriculum will be revised to ensure alignment with emerging state standards and will be supported by a diverse, 18 member Wellness Committee. 

Evacuation Drill: We had an uneventful, pleasant drill. Members of CASP as well as the Newton Police Department assisted us. The children took this drill seriously and we are all very proud of our youngest students in kindergarten and grade 1 who set the walking pace en route to Newton North High School. Once in the large auditorium they continue to show the entire student body how to be serious. We spent a few minutes reviewing what would happen in the event we did have to remain away from school for the day. The children seem to take it all in stride. Could it be that they had seats in an auditorium? Two experiences they will not have at Cabot school. 
Thank you to all the members of the Crisis Team, especially Ms. Driscoll and Betsy Nurczynski who labored long and hard to ensure that everyone was prepared. I am confident that Cabot School can respond effectively should the need arise. If you have any feedback please let us know!

  PTO Pen
We are deep into November and although the days may be shorter, our work on your behalf never stops. We would like to thank the tireless efforts of our Political Action Committee, Sarah Ecker, Isabelle Thacker and Sue Covitz for their time and energy keeping us updated on the space crunch issues, and to Mie-Yun Lee, our talented webmaster who helped spearhead the Survey. Thanks to you, the Cabot Community, for your show of support in attending the School Committee Meetings and the Open Forum; Cabot had by far the most representatives there; as well as 191 of you who completed the Cabot Space Crunch Survey. We have sent home a summary of the results to you via email and have shared these results with the School Committee. We were also able to host 4 School Committee Members for a tour of our space last Wednesday morning. They were here before the doors opened and got a first hand look at the tight spaces in which we are learning and teaching. The next two School Committee meetings are critical, please attend or tune-in on November 27 and on December 11 when they make their decision.
The Annual Campaign for Cabot is off to a great start!! Thank you to everyone who has made a donation thus far. This Campaign is the single largest source of funding for the PTO ensuring the fulfillment of our mission to enrich the educational experience of all our children, support the school staff and build the community that makes Cabot School such a special place. This year the PTO will spend over $55,000 – which translates to $133 per child, on a range of programs and resources. We encourage all families to participate in this fundraising endeavor which directly benefits your child. Many thanks go to Lori Seuch, our VP of Fundraising, for organizing and distributing the letters and donation cards, and to Emily Hess for her technical expertise working with our database to print the letters. 
The new morning entry routines are in full swing. We appreciate everyone’s adherence to these routines for fostering independence and self- reliance. Thank you for gathering by grade in the marked areas of the blacktop, this facilitates easy entrance into the building. Thank you also for understanding our space restrictions by not bringing strollers into the building. We appreciate your help in following the rules of the Blue Zone. Working together we can help our children become independent and also relieve some of the congestion which will result in safe arrival practices.
We would like to take a moment to acknowledge our teachers who are currently working without a contract. As representatives of the PTO, we hope this matter is settled in the near future, and speaking as parents and citizens, we appreciate and applaud their dedication and hard work on a daily basis.
Have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Jo Doherty
PTO co-President Mary Kathryn Fallon
PTO co-President

   Recent Events at cabot
Third Graders Complete Unit on Deafness and Hard of Hearing 

Cabot Math Challenge – Stairway to the Roof

Thanks To………………………… Third graders completed the deafness and hard of hearing unit of Understanding Our Differences on Thurs Nov 16th. Ask your child what s/he learned about people who are deaf and hard of hearing and the challenges they face and the tools they can use. Many thanks to the following parents who helped with this unit: Catherine Bucci, Deborah Mitchell, Kate Dulit, Emily Hess, Karen Jauregui, Sarah Hemphill, Archana Vahalia and Shara Lewis. Special thanks to Gary Alpert, our guest speaker, who is deaf and works in the Newton Public Schools. 
If you are interested in helping with the upcoming units or for more information, please contact David Taylor or Sarah Hemphill.

Over 100 students attempted to solve Cabot’s first Math Challenge, Stairway to the Roof. The solution will be available soon.  Keep your eyes open for the next Math Challenge, which will be out on Monday December 4th. The Cabot Math Challenge is an exciting new initiative from the Cabot School Council and Dr. Quarcoo, which will continue throughout the year. Any comments or suggestions will be greatly appreciated and should be directed to Emily Hess, politicalresources at hotmail.com or to Shara Lewis, shara.lewis at comcast.net   Also, please let us know if you are interested in helping with the challenge. Thanks to Robin Moriarty and Matthew Tirrell for their help putting the project together.

We would like to express our appreciation to:
Kate Johnson – for organizing and executing the gift wrap fundraiser!
Jenny Gamson – our directory guru for working hard through the summer and fall to gather, compile and prepare the invaluable Cabot directory!
Julie Stonehill – for organizing the Papa Gino’s fundraiser and giving many of us a night off from cooking.
Sharon Dywer – for organizing the Coffee Pond Family Picture Day fundraiser to benefit the Community Garden.
Daphne Potter & Susan Sagan – for helping Dana Bennett organize Wellness Day, a fun day of health and learning. 

  Volunteers Needed
Parent Volunteers Needed for Reading Partners Program 
  Would you like to help in a classroom? Cabot School is recruiting volunteers to help support readers in the 1st and 2nd grades as they develop and strengthen literacy skills. If we have enough support, we will extend the program to the third grade classrooms also. No prior teaching or tutoring experience is required.
The Reading Partners Program will begin its 4th year in December 2006. We are asking for a commitment of 2 days per week for 45 minutes each day. The time slots vary but are in the morning for grades 1 and 2. Grade 3 time slots are not yet determined. Each time slot is during the literacy block in the individual classrooms. Volunteers pick which 2 days they would like to work. 
Parent volunteers will work one-on-one with students, listening to them read. Cari Nelson, Literacy Specialist, will provide training on how to support readers. The training will teach parents how to prompt students to support the use of reading strategies. Cari will be available to coach and support parent volunteers throughout the program.
For more information or to sign up, please contact Cari Nelson at Carolyn_Nelson at newton.k12.ma.us or Liz Haas at haas.joffe at rcn.com 

Bring Cabot's Core Values to Life!
  Cabot School's Core Values 
Life-long learning   /  Respect for self and others  /  Commitment to school and community. 
These are Cabot School’s core values—the belief statements we want to foster in all students. They are meant to permeate every aspect of school, home, and community life. They are also used as broad statements of purpose that help our school focus its energies in areas of curricula, programs, and policies. 
To renew our focus on Cabot’s core values this year, Dr. Quarcoo is forming a Principal’s Committee on Core Values. The three parent members are Jenny Duvall, Lisa Griggs, and Sandee Simshauser. We need a few more members, especially a 5th grade parent! Duties will include 
·        Meeting with principal approximately five times/year to discuss school’s core values 
·        Sending announcements to PTO committee chairs about ways to make their efforts and events reflect core values 
·        Designing two home/school activities to bring life and meaning to core values 
·        Monitoring climate/needs of school to ensure that attention/actions reflect core values 
Please contact Sally Brickell (brickland6 at rcn.com or 617-527-5438), Nominating, if you’d like to join this worthwhile effort.

CABOT BROADCAST
Out of District Policy Statement for 2007
  School Publication of Out-of-District Policy Statement - 2007:

•Out-of-District placements for students who wish to attend a school in Newton other than his/her district school are limited.  Such placements are made on a space available basis only.  Newton families, as well as members of Units A, B, C, D, E, NESA Custodians and Boston parents of students participating in the METCO Program, should call the Attendance Office at 617-559-6030 for information.*  Students who receive acceptance for Out-of-District placement must remain in the school selected or file for out-of-district placement at the appropriate time.

• Applications for the following school year must be submitted on forms, which will be available in the Attendance Office at the Education Center beginning November 1.

•A lottery will be implemented to determine the order in which placements will be made.  Completed applications, signed by the in-district principal, can be submitted no earlier than the first school day in January in the school year preceding the desired registration and no later than the last school day in January.  Applications submitted after January 31 will not be included in the lottery.

•Hand-delivered applications will only be accepted from the parent or legal guardian.  Application forms must have the 'Reason for Request' section completed in order to be considered.

•Class size in a given grade, in a given year, in a specific school, may preclude any placements including siblings.

•Parents will be responsible for transporting their child to the out-of-district school.  

*It should be noted that Tuition-Free Enrollment is limited to regular education programs only.

Understanding Our Differences

Newton Schools Foundation In an effort to recycle our curriculum books through our program we are
asking if anyone has any past Understanding Our Differences curriculum 
books – if they would leave them in the school office in your designated
PTO area. We will have the current coordinators send them to our office.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

The Newton Schools Foundation thanks you! Last spring your support for the 2006 Honor Thy Teacher Campaign celebrated 638 NPS educators and raised over $43,000 to support this year's grants. With your support 33 exciting new grants are in progress for the 2006-07 school year including over$25,000 for systemwide elementary school grants which will directly impact Cabot. In addition, Cabot was awarded funding for two 2005-06 grants, Lunch Aide Training for Bullying Prevention and Professional Development to Improve Math Instruction.

Covering a number of curriculum areas, the combined grants will directly impact the school experience of over 18,500 students and 941 teachers in all 21 schools. Since the NPS student enrollment this year is over 11,500, this indicates that many students have the opportunity to participate in innovative programming in more than one of their classrooms on a daily basis.

Please take a minute to thank the present and past grantees in your school for their creativity and encourage teachers to apply for funding for the 2007-08 school year. Also, please check out our website for further information: www.nsfonline.org 

Fundraising And they’re off…You should have received your letters regarding the Campaign for Cabot-the single largest fundraiser that we do. The Cabot PTO provides approximately $133 per child to the school while the Newton Public Schools provides only $88. Please be as generous as possible when you receive the letter and give as much as you can so we can continue to provide all the wonderful opportunities that we do! Very special thanks to Liz Haas, Michele Weinfeld, Leslie Warner, Sue Finegan and Susan Phillips for getting the mailing out the door! 
Approximately 79% of you became dues paying members of the PTO this year. While the services we provide are free, your contributions entitle you to a great Cabot Directory which will be invaluable throughout the year. There are a very limited amount of extra directories available, so join the 79% who have paid dues for the 2006-2007 school year! 
Rounding out the very beginning of school, the Cabot Community Supper raised about $600 for the school while more importantly, raising the spirits of many who enjoyed playing on the field, catching up with friends and enjoying the school spirit. 
Our Coffee Pond Picture fundraiser did not raise what we were hoping for so the PTO through other funds will have to subsidize the Community Park project, as $1,000 was promised to them. Thanks to those of you who did participate, we hope your portraits are everything you expected! And, as you saw the boxes of gift wrap lining the hallway-your sales earned approximately $7,800 for the school. A great way to kick off the holiday season! 
We still don’t have results yet from our night out at Papa Ginos but anecdotally, there were Cabot families there from the beginning to the end, having fun and taking a night off from cooking. 
As you get ready to start your holiday shopping, don’t forget to go through this link: http://www.cabotpto.org/shop.html where you can access many of your favorite stores and earn money for Cabot at the same time. We’ve earned about $125 already-think of how this can grow if you simply begin your online shopping here! Some of the stores you can order from include Best Buy, Target, Amazon, KB Toys, Barnes and Noble and many more. Check it out, there’s more than you realize! In the coming month, there will also be a flyer coming home about shopping at the Learning Express in Newton Center. 

Finally, don’t forget to continue clipping box tops and putting them in the box in the main lobby. It’s easy to do and is quick money which adds up for the school. We mailed off our first batch of for the year.  We’ve collected 1,280 Box Tops so far this year!  We’ll keep counting, so please keep clipping!  When you clip the Box Tops, please make sure not to cut off the expiration date.  And when you start your on-line shopping, please begin at www.Cabotpto.org which will link you to the Box Tops website.  If you have any questions, please contact:  Isabelle Thacker, 617/795-2332, isabelle at thackers.net
Thank you all for your continued support of this wonderful school. With your help and generosity, we accomplish great things. 

Fifth Grade Activities Attention all Fifth Grade parents and guardians.  On Monday, Nov. 20, at  8:30AM, in the library you are invited to the 5th Grade Activities Breakfast to find out what special events are in store for your children in the upcoming year and how you can help.  If you have any questions contact Lori Dix at dixfamily at verizon.net. 

Creative Arts & Sciences                   On October 26th, the Creative Arts and Sciences program brought renowned ethnomusicologist Semenya McCord to Cabot School. The concert highlighted African –American experiences through spirituals, blues and jazz. Cabot School enjoyed a rollicking musical history tour as the children clapped and sang their way from calypso through swing and doo-wop to what was termed the ”first” rap song - “Straighten up and Fly Right” by Nat King Cole. Ms. McCord and her band members on bass, piano and drums illustrated how people over the years have both communicated with each other and gathered strength through music. Ms. McCord closed with a song written for her father and encouraged us all to explore our own family’s unique history through music.

Social Action Committee Candy Drive and UNICEF
Once again a big thank you goes to Cabot students and families who collected more than $1,000 for UNICEF and contributed more than 500 pounds of candy to Rosie's Place in Boston. Every year Rosie's Place looks forward to Cabot's candy donation which goes to the needy families they serve over the course of the year. 
Food Drive for Head Start
Cabot Food Drive for Head Start in Newton starts this week. Please bring in canned or dry goods for donations. A collection box will be set up in the front lobby of the school. Collections will end just before the Thanksgiving school break. Thank you all for your generous contributions!  Sharon Whitham - SAC Co-Chair
Donor Angels Holiday Gift Drive
Cabot will again this year participate in the Community Service Gift Drive for the Second Step program. This is an opportunity for you & your family to send a gift to a deserving child for the holidays. Fliers came home in your child’s backpacks a few weeks ago asking if you would like to participate and the amount you would like to donate for a gift. The forms are being processed right now. You will receive a confirmation of your participation identifying the specified gift you will need to buy and return to Cabot on the date identified on the flier. Thanks in advance for participating.  If you did not send back a form and you would still like to participate, donations of wrapping supplies and gift cards are always welcome. This program was a great success last year. The families of the Second Step were very appreciative and happy with the help they received. If you have any questions please contact Rose Flynn roda at gis.net 

Literacy
Resource Center At Cabot School, we are offering students in grades three, four, and five an opportunity to take the National Mythology Exam. Students must sign up with their classroom teachers by December 4, 2006. The exam will be given between February 19 and March 2, 2007. 
The National Mythology Exam, sponsored by the American Classical League, is a multiple choice, machine scored exam given across the country each year to assess students’ knowledge of Greek and Roman Myths. Each year, the American Classical League announces the study pages in d’Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths for this self-directed study of mythology. Signing up for the exam requires students to make a commitment to study the material. At Cabot, we offer the exam to any students in grades three, four, and five who consider themselves “scholars” in this literary genre. 
For more information, please contact me by email carolyn_nelson at newton.k12.ma.us or by phone at Cabot School (617) 559-9400.  - Carolyn Nelson, Literacy Specialist

Community News

Newton Holiday Crafts & Art Festival

Skiing & Snowboarding Registration

Debate over Newton North High School Building Plans

Conversations about Newton North – Public Forum

Drumming Lessons Newton Holiday Crafts and Art Festival 
The fifth annual CELEBRATE NEWTON! HOLIDAY ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL will take place on Sunday, December 3rd from 10 am until 4 pm at Newton South High School. This Citywide PTO-sponsored fair raises money for ALL Newton schools. For the past four years, Celebrate Newton! has attracted shoppers and spirit from across the city, and this year's fair promises to be even better. The day will feature 60+ artisans with ties to Newton: crafters and artists in the show are Newton residents, teachers, parents, students, employees, alums and more. Shoppers can also enjoy onsite craft projects, live music from community and school groups, a silent auction, bake sale and lunch cafe. ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE NEWTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Please see www.perugi.com/newton for more details. Questions? Please contact Sara Coen at 617-558-3695 or at saracoen3 at aol.com. 
Sking and Snowboarding Registration 
The Newton Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring skiing and snowboarding at Nashoba Valley. Six week program beginning in January 2007. Tuesday afternoons for grades 3-5 and Friday evenings for grades 6-12. Lessons available. Registration now available at www.ci.newton.ma.us/parks . For further information call Stephanie Pelkowsky at 617 796 1500

Debate Over Newton North High School Building Plans 

As most of you know, a recent petition asked the Board of Aldermen to reconsider its approval of the site plan for a new Newton North High School building. Since the Board decided to stick by its approval, the question will come to a public vote on January 23rd. 

Voters will be asked whether they support or oppose the Aldermen's decision to approve the current site plan for the new Newton North High School building. Two ballot question committees have been formed; Newton North Now supports approval of the site plan, while Voters for a Better Newton North opposes it. 

We want to encourage parents to stay informed about this upcoming vote on an issue of tremendous importance to education in the City of Newton. The upcoming CONVERSATIONS ABOUT NEWTON NORTH described below should be a good place to start. 

Renovation of both high schools became an issue several years ago because of overcrowding and the deteriorating physical conditions. The problems continue at Newton North. As reported in Jennifer Price, Principal of Newton North High School's monthly newsletter (http://www.nnhs.net/administration/principal/) the results of the NEASC accreditation process at Newton North included a point about the condition of the school building. The information below is the final bullet from her report. 

". They felt that our building was not a conducive learning environment for our students. We will mostly likely be seen as deficient in this area. 

Overall, this was a very positive report and many of us hope that this report will serve as a catalyst to make needed changes." 

As the campaign continues, we will strive to keep the Cabot Community informed about the project by sending updates and highlighting important events and communications, such as the Public Forum listed below.  Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
Sarah Hemphill  sarahhemphill at rcn.com 
Emily Hess        Politicalresources at hotmail.com 
Sharon Dwyer   jsordwyer at rcn.com 
Kate Dulit         kate.dulit at verizon.net 

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT NEWTON NORTH 
Public Forums on Newton North Referendum 

Conversation One: The Site Plan 
November 28, 2006 
7:30 pm 
NNHS Lasker Auditorium 

Newton's League of Women Voters, the Newton PTO Council and the Newton Schools Foundation have joined together to offer citizens an opportunity to learn more about the upcoming referendum on the approval of a site plan for a new Newton North building. The organizations will hold two forums, titled "Conversations about Newton North," so that voters will be able to ask a balanced panel questions about the issues involved in the ballot question they will be voting on January 23rd. 

The first forum will be held November 28th and will focus on the site plan itself. The second forum, to be held in January, will focus on the finances of the project. Both forums will be held at 7:30 p.m. in Newton North's Lasker Auditorium. 

Panelists for the first forum will be David Cohen, mayor of Newton; George Mansfield, Ward 6 alderman and opponent of the site plan; Alan Mayer, architect and member of Voters for a Better Newton North; and Dori Zaleznik, chair of the Newton School Committee. The evening will begin with a brief introduction to the site plan. Following that, each panelist will have five minutes to briefly state their position. The remainder of the evening will be devoted to questions from the audience, moderated by Amelia Koch of the League of Women Voters. 

In addition to the forums, tours of the existing Newton North building will be available on two different dates. The first set of tours will be offered immediately before the first forum, on the evening of November 28th starting at 6:00 pm. The second set will be offered during the day on Saturday, December 2nd from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. 

For more information, visit www.newtonptocouncil.org, emailconversations at newtonptocouncil.org, or call Lisa Mirabile, at 617-332-5374. 

Drumming Lessons 
The Fine Arts Department of the Newton Public Schools is offering beginning drum lessons for students in grades four and five.  Semi-private lessons will be held on Tuesday afternoons after school at Newton North High School.  There is a fee which includes 14 lessons.  Yearly registration begins immediately.  For more information call 781-721-0490. 
- Submitted by Gil Graham

Compiled for you by the Cabot PTO

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

________________________________________________________________________
Check out the new AOL.  Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20061121/df0be82e/attachment.html 