[CabotCommunity] Jabberlite for Tuesday December 12, 2006

Tue Dec 12 15:00:10 EST 2006

JABBERLITE   Tuesday, December 12, 2006 

This Jabberlite contains information about:
Campaign for Cabot – Where does your money go?
Library Book Donations
Online Shopping and X-Hale Boutique Fundraiser
Cabot Math Challenge
Community Service Gift Drive to The Second Step
Cabot Space Crunch Update
Newton School Gift Policy
CASP Survey now online
Gift Wrap Top Sellers

Upcoming Dates
A complete & updated calendar for all events for the year can be found at www.cabotpto.org    
December 11, 2006School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM
December 11 - 15, 2006CASP Survey Online
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 Fiddler On The Roof
December 20, 2006CASP Play 7:00 - 8:00PM Fiddler On The Roof
December 22, 2006CASP Play for School Fiddler On The Roof
December 25, 2006Christmas
December 25 to Jan 1, 2006Vacation, NO SCHOOL
December 26, 2006Kwanzaa
January 1, 2007Vacation, NO SCHOOL
January 2, 2007School resumes
January 4, 2007Understanding our Differences Grade 5 1:00 - 2:45 PM
January 8, 2007School Council 6-7:30 PM
January 8, 2007School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM
January 9, 2007Conversations About NNHS:Part II The Finances  Lasker Auditorium 7:30PM
January 10, 2007All-City School Chorus Concert, Brown Middle School 7:30 PM
January 15, 2007Martin Luther King Day, NO  SCHOOL
January 18, 2007Winter Concert, 10:45 AM & 7:30 PM

WHERE DOES YOUR MONEY GO? HOW DOES THE PTO USE MY MONEY?
Each week we will highlight a different area to illustrate how your money is spent & the good it yields. Last week we talked about Cabot’s dedicated teachers and faculty to which we distributed $6,500 to help offset classroom materials and supplies, for which many teachers dig deep into their own pockets.  This week we’d like to talk about other Programs sponsored by the PTO which directly benefit our children.  This year $1,250 was paid for the Child Assault Prevention Program.  This is a city-wide program run yearly in Kindergarten, 2nd grade and 5th grade to reduce vulnerability to verbal, physical & sexual assault and violence. Through age-appropriate, skill-oriented classroom workshops, children learn and are encouraged to use practical skills to become confident in their own problem-solving abilities, strengthening their capacity to recognize and respond to uncomfortable and potentially dangerous situations. Children are taught the importance of assertiveness, peer support and turning to trusted adults for assistance. Taught that everyone has the right to be Safe, Strong and Free, children are guided step-by-step from fear to confidence by means of non-threatening language and active participation. In order for your child to participate in these workshops, you are required to sign a permission slip.  To find out more about this city-wide program, go to the Newton Community Service Center website, www.ncscweb.org 

The PTO also sponsors the Understanding our Differences Program, provided in partnership with the Newton Public Schools.  This program delivers a series of six instructional units that provide specific informational and experimental learning activities related to: Deafness/Hard of Hearing; Blindness/Visual Impairment; Learning Disabilities; Physical Disabilities; Special Medical Conditions such as Asthma, Diabetes and Epilepsy/Seizure Disorders; and Developmental Disabilities/Mental Retardation.  A wide variety of materials and activities are utilized including: slide shows, videos, books, simulated activities, group discussions, hands-on activities, adaptive equipment and discussions with guest speakers.  The PTO pays $250 for this program each year.

In an effort to keep our students healthy and able to attend school, and thus these great programs, the PTO spent $500 to provide antibacterial wipes for all of our classrooms.

So if you have not yet contributed to the Campaign for Cabot, please take a moment to think about how much your child benefits from all the enrichment activities provided & financed by the PTO.  To date we have 25% participation, or 81 families.  Thank you so much to those who have contributed already, your generosity is greatly appreciated.  There is still time to contribute and to make that tax deductible donation before the end of the year, just drop your check in an envelope and place it in the PTO mailbox in the office.  We are checking it twice a day, so we will be sure to get it!  This year we are striving towards 100% participation from our community of families, so please contribute whatever you can.  For each family who donates, another square is covered on Humpty in our main lobby.  Help us color Humpty in!!

LIBRARY
Looking for the perfect way to honor your favorite teachers - how about donating a book to the Cabot Library in their honor.  Forms will be coming out this week with Marilynne's blue sheet.

SHOP FOR THE HOLIDAYS – 
                  AND EARN $$ FOR CABOT AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!
If you are shopping online for the holidays or birthdays don’t forget to go to www.cabotpto.org   first & then click on the Shopping icon!! You will pay exactly the same prices BUT a % of your total purchase will be donated to the Cabot School PTO! All of the main online stores participate, so check it out by visiting http://www.cabotpto.org/shop.html   

Also,  if you are still looking for something to wear this holiday season or you need a special gift for a special female, visit X-Hale Boutique at 1183 Walnut Street in Newton Highlands on FRIDAY DECEMBER 15, for a fundraising day to benefit Cabot School.  Simply shop at the store on December 15th, identify your purchase is to benefit Cabot School  & X-Hale Boutique will donate a % of the total sales generated.  Store hours are from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, (sorry no other coupons or specials can be used toward these purchases).

CABOT MATH CHALLENGE REMINDER– 
Just a reminder that Problem #2 needs to be returned by Thursday December 14th
Copies can be obtained from teachers. Keep up the great work! If you have any questions contact Emily at politicalresources at hotmail.com  or Shara at Shara7 at gmail.com .

COMMUNITY SERVICE GIFT DRIVE 
Thank you to so many of you who donated holiday gifts to the families of The Second Step, Newton's Shelter for domestic violence.  Our volunteers were in the lobby yesterday and today collecting numerous packages, boxes, bundles are bags! Volunteers packed their cars to bring the gifts to The Second Step's North Pole where they will be wrapped and tagged until the holidays.  Thank you for your participation, and your generosity, your help will truly make a special holiday for many families. Thanks to Rose Coppola Flynn who organized this gift drive.

SPACE CRUNCH ISSUE – ITS OFFICIAL– 2 MODULARS ARE HEADED OUR WAY!
Its official, the School Committee last night voted to address short-term space issues by purchasing 8 modular classrooms, 2 which will be for Cabot.  Our gratitude goes to the tireless efforts of our Political Action Committee, Sarah Ecker, Isabelle Thacker and Sue Covitz for their time and energy this fall addressing the Space Crunch as the Cabot School Representatives. Thanks to you, the Cabot Community, for your show of support in attending the School Committee Meetings and the Open Forum, and for completing the Cabot Space Crunch Survey.  Although we have received approval to purchase the modulars, now we have to site them and integrate them.  Stay tuned!!

NEWTON SCHOOL’S GIFT POLICY
As we enter into the holiday season, please remember the Newton School Committee Policy:  “No teacher in the performance of regular duties shall receive presents from the pupils under his or her direction.”  Each year families are reminded of this policy, and each year most families comply.  It is very natural for children and their families to want to acknowledge and thank their teachers at holiday time.  
Here are some suggestions: 
1. A note of appreciation to your child’s teacher, or a card made by your child, would be treasured.  
2. A homemade acknowledgement to your child’s teacher or faculty member, such as cookies or baked goods.
3.  You may wish to honor a teacher or staff member through a donation to the Campaign for Cabot.  Checks should be made to the Cabot PTO, with a note indicating that it is for the Campaign for Cabot.  This is a terrific way to honor a teacher and support the parent-run enrichment programs at Cabot School.

Please do not solicit money from families for class gifts.

If you need further clarification please speak with the Principal Marilynne Quarcoo or your PTO Co-Presidents, Jo Doherty and Mary Kathryn Fallon. Thank you for your cooperation.

CASP SURVEY NOW ONLINE
CASP Members please be sure to check your e-mail for the CASP Survey.  TheCASP Board is asking CASP parents to give us input on what they value about the program.  The survey will only be on line until Friday December 15th. Don't miss your opportunity to weigh in; it only takes a few minutes.  By participating you will have the chance to win one of our great raffle prizes!!  Thanks in advance for your support.   Questions should be addressed to Vicki Gartland at vgartland at comcast.net .

GIFT WRAP
Thanks to everyone who supported this year's Gift Wrap fundraiser.  Thanks to you the Cabot PTO raised nearly $8000.  Congratulations to this year's top ten sellers, they are:

Bennett and Alyssa Kaplan
Henry Johnson
Luke Fisher
Teddy Robertson
Jack Walsworth
Brewster Taylor
Anthony Niles
Marisa Proia
Rohan Doherty
Larz Lee  

Good work.

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

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