[CabotCommunity] Jabberwock for Tuesday April 3, 2007

Tue Apr 3 16:37:30 EDT 2007

JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, April 3rd 2007
This edition contains the following:

Cabot PTO Survey
Ms. Moriarty wins teacher recognition award – presentation April 4th at 7pm
Last Week’s Public Meeting & Traffic Enforcement
PTO & School Council Positions for Next Year
Newton Serves – What we can do depends on YOU!  Volunteer now April 28th & 29th 
Allowing Childhood – An Evening Discussion, Wednesday March 28th 7pm
Parent to Parent Grade 5 - date change 
Marilynne’s Last Fireside Chat, April 24th
Cabot’s 4th grade sells energy efficient light bulbs
Cabot Fair needs volunteers
Turkey Talk – Cabot’s Wild Neighbors
Newton SPED Meeting, April 4th
Register for the 2007-08 school year
Newton Public Schools Pre-School Screening
Seminar: Modern Dads, April 11th
                Project Bread: Walk for Hunger, May 6th

CALENDAR  
April 3, 2007MCAS Make-Up
April 4, 2007MCAS Make-Up
April 4, 2007Goldin Award for Excellence in Education Awards 7:00PM Day Middle School
April 5, 2007CA&S - Historical Perspectives Helen Keller visits 2nd Grade - 1:45 PM
April 6, 2007Good Friday, NO SCHOOL
April 9, 2007School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM
April 9, 2007CASP Annual Meeting & Coffee 5:00 PM
April 9, 2007School Council 5:00 - 7:00 PM
April 9, 2007Mohammed Camara, Drumming Workshop, Music Room, Grade 5  8:50 - 11:45
April 10, 2007Mohammed Camara, Drumming Workshop, Music Room, Grade 4 8:50 - 10:45
April 10, 2007Invention Invasion, 5:30-7 PM
April 16 to April 20, 2006Spring Vacation, NO SCHOOL
April 23, 2007School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM
April 24, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 4, Science Discovery Museum 9:00AM
April 24, 2007Affinity Group 12:30 PM
April 24, 2007Evening Neighborhood Meeting with Dr. Quarcoo - Mona Lisa & Donald Neville's Home 6:30PM
April 28, 2007Newton Serves! A Weekend of Community Service at Cabot
April 29, 2007Newton Serves! A Weekend of Community Service at Cabot
May 1, 2007Grade 5 Parent Coffee with Bigelow & Day Principals at Cabot, 8:30-9:30AM
May 2, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 5 Wingmasters Eyes on Owls
May 3, 2007Parent to Parent Chat at Bigelow, 7:30 - 9:00PM
May 5, 2007Cabot Fair 10:00 – 3:00 PM
May 8, 2007Teacher Appreciation Luncheon

Cabot PTO Survey 
The PTO feels strongly that there are 2 issues about which we need to hear from YOU!  We had such a successful response with our space crunch survey; we decided to do it 
again!  The first issue concerns the traffic congestion that exists outside school at drop-off and pick-up times. The second issue concerns how the PTO raises funds.  So please take 
the time to complete this survey to ensure your voice and opinions are counted. It shouldn’t take very much time and is easy to complete. The survey will be open from 6am 
Wednesday, April 4th to complete online until Wednesday, April 11th at midnight. After that time the responses will be collected and the PTO will provide a summary of 
results to the community. If you do not have access to a computer and wish to complete a paper copy please take an available copy from the PTO bulletin board or leave a request 
for one in the PTO mailbox so that you too can complete the survey before the deadline. Our thanks go to Mie-Yun Lee for her technical talent in making this survey go live!
Click on this link for the survey     http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=733013583373

We thank you in advance for your time and thoughtful consideration.

Mrs. Moriarty wins teacher recognition award – April 4th at 7pm
Congratulations to our own Mrs. Moriarty for receiving the Goldin Foundation Award for Excellence!  The Goldin Foundation for Excellence in Education recognizes and rewards educators who have made outstanding contributions in their classrooms, schools, and communities. Since its inception in 1990, the Foundation has sought to foster the respect for and appreciation of educators.  Ms. Moriarty is one of 5 Boston Area Teachers and 1 of 2 Newton Teachers to win this award. We will be celebrating her achievement at a reception on April 4th at 7:00PM at Day Middle School.  So bring the family and come join us in congratulating Ms. Moriarty!

Public Meeting held last week for neighbors of Cabot School & the Cabot Community, 
Last Tuesday evening Dr. Quarcoo, hosted a public meeting with members of the city & school departments to discuss parking and traffic-related matters. The meeting was well attended and the neighbors did request for your cooperation with regard to our safety rules and common courtesy.  As a follow up to this meeting, the Newton Police will be at Cabot School starting this week during drop off and pick up times.  A letter came home last week from Dr. Quarcoo informing you of the police presence.  Please help us to keep everyone safe and follow the rules, posted again here for your reference.
·         Pull your car to the end of the Blue Zone for Drop off; don’t stop mid-way in the lane.
·         Do not drop your child off on the opposite side of the street or on Bridges Ave.
·         Have your child ready to exit the car immediately on the curb-side in front of the school.
·         Do not park your car in front of the school or leave your car – the Blue Zone is for drop off only!
·         Please adhere to all traffic signs, please do not park in or block neighbor’s driveways and please do not park at the end of Parkview where it will block the bus from turning the corner.
·         Do not use the faculty parking lot for drop off or pickup. 
·         Please respect all crosswalks and do not park in them when waiting for your child.

If you have any questions about these rules, please do not hesitate to ask!

POSITIONS FOR NEXT YEAR – PTO & SCHOOL COUNCIL
PTO Committees
The PTO needs you!  That’s right, we are trying to fill positions for next year – we know you have hidden talents and whether you have a little or a lot of time; actually who are we kidding, no one has a lot of time, but we’ll take what we can get and we can use your help!  Here are just a few of the positions open:
PTO Co-President
Advertising Committee
Photography Coordinator
Program Enrichment Coordinator
Public Relations
Room Captains (K-2 & 3-5)
Social Action Committee Coordinator
Understanding our Differences
Webmaster (Co-chair with existing)

Check out our web site, www.cabotpto.org  for a full list of committees.  There is room in almost any committee for more members, so if you see something that interests you, contact the committee chair for more information!

School Council Nominations
2007 Cabot School Council Nomination Process 
As part of the Education Reform Act of 1993, School Councils were mandated for each school across the Commonwealth. The Council offers a way for parents, teachers, and community members to work together in an advisory capacity to the Principal to identify educational needs, set educational goals, review the school building budget, and prepare the school improvement plan. The Council consists of the Principal, up to two appointed community members who are not Cabot School parents, and an equal number of teachers and parents, representing our diverse school community. The parent representatives are elected by Cabot parents.

Nominations for three parent representative positions are now open. Each newly elected parent member will serve a two-year term of office. The Cabot School Council meets 8 times during the school year and members are expected to attend 80% of the meetings. Frequently subcommittees are formed to research and provide recommendations about a variety of school improvement issues.

If you would like your name to appear on the ballot, or to nominate someone, please:

1. Write a brief statement (100 words or less) that includes a biographical sketch (employment, family, etc), number of years you have been a Cabot parent, grade levels of your children and why you wish to be a School Council representative. Along with your statement, please include your name, telephone number and e-mail address. If possible, please write your statement in Microsoft Word and send it as an e-mail attachment, along with a digital photo, to Liz Haas at haas.joffe at rcn.com.

2. If you are unable to submit electronically, please put your statement, and a small photo, in an envelope addressed to Liz Haas and put it in the PTO mailbox in the school office.

3. Nominations must be submitted by Friday, April 27th.

An information packet about School Council will be sent to all nominees.
The biographical statements submitted by the nominees will be published in the Jabberwock during the month of May. If there are more than three candidates, there will be an election. Details regarding the election process will be published in early May, if one is needed. The new School Council members will be announced in the Jabberwock at the end of the process.

You may also contact any of the following parents who are the Current School Council Parent Representatives:
Term expiring June 2007: 
Jack Sarid (617 332-0974), Greg Smith (617 332-9633)
Term expiring June 2008: 
Liz Haas (617 969-5008), Lesley Roberts (617-630-1838), Janet Hart (617-332-5411)
PTO Co-Presidents (ex-officio members of School Council): 
Mary Kathryn Fallon (617-244-1821) and Jo Doherty (617-332-1530).

Newton Serves – let’s clean up Cabot!
We have been receiving lists of project requests from faculty and staff at Cabot. But our ability to get these valuable and much needed jobs done depends on YOU!! The more volunteers we have the more we can clean up Cabot. Do you think the bathrooms could do with a lick of paint? Also, mulch will be spread, signs made, books organized, shelves put up and areas cleaned. We hope as many of you as possible will come out to help spruce up our school! Sign up times are for either Saturday morning 9-12 noon, Saturday afternoon 1-4pm or Sunday morning 9:30- 12 noon. The more volunteers we have, the more we can make a difference!  Please let us know if you have any handy skills, such as carpentry or painting, or if you are just willing to come and work.  If you and your family are able to come lend a hand, please contact Jo Doherty at jcdoherty11 at comcast.net or Mary Kathryn Fallon at MaryKathF at aol.com .  

Allowing Childhood –Last weeks discussion a Success
Approximately 40 Cabot parents & faculty members came out for the Allowing Childhood Evening Discussion last Wednesday evening.  Facilitated by Margaret Hannah, the evening began with a general discussion using Wendy Mogel’s Book “The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children”, as a launching point for the conversation.  Breakout groups followed the discussion. The objective for the evening was to start a dialogue about how to reduce the stress and pressure on students, parents and teachers in the Cabot community. Many thanks to the Planning Group:  Anya Bassett, Emily Hess, Lani Gerson, and Margaret Hannah.  

Parent to Parent Date Change – Please note that the Grade 5 Parent to Parent Chat has been changed from April 10 to a date in May.  We will let you know as soon as the date is chosen so you can mark your calendar!

Marilynne’s Fireside Chats 
There is only one more Fireside chat left, mark your calendar for April 24th at 6:30pm hosted by Monalisa & Donald Neville. Come out and enjoy an evening with Dr. Quarcoo.  Ask all those questions you’ve been wondering about, or just get to know your school Principal a bit better in this informal get-together.  Check your Cabot directory for the address and don’t forget to RSVP to the Neville’s.   

Cabot’s 4TH GRADE SELLS ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHT BULBS!
Have you noticed the Earth Smart Handmade Posters hanging around Cabot School? Kudos to our 4th Grade students who are undertaking a project to make a difference and learning about how to protect our environment! This project was kicked off by Meg Wilcox, a Cabot 4th grade parent, who gave a presentation to all 4th grade students about global warming and what can be done to protect our environment. The Cabot PTO and the 4th grade teachers are joining forces with NSTAR to sell energy efficient light bulbs at a very minimal cost. Our 4th grade students will be running this venture themselves and have been visiting each classroom in Cabot, making age appropriate presentations about the need to look after our world & promoting the sales of these energy efficient light bulbs. These students will be responsible for collecting and processing the orders and fulfillment. You should have received a flyer (designed by the 4th graders) which contains information about this project with an order form on the bottom. All orders are due back by April12th, and there are extra order forms in the school office. This is a great opportunity to buy these light bulbs at a fraction of their retail cost. All proceeds generated will be donated to an environmentally friendly cause.

The Cabot Fair is May 5 - Half the fun is volunteering!
In the next month you will be receiving a call from a room parent, asking you to volunteer for one or more time slots at the Cabot Fair.  But why wait!  Early-bird volunteers help out our planning enormously.   Choose your preferred time slot: 9:30-11:00, 11:00-12:30, 12:30-2:00, or 2:00-3:30…and contact Volunteer Central at politicalresources at hotmail.com or call at (617) 527-4188

Turkey Talk – Cabot’s Wild Neighbors
Those wild turkeys have been out and about in our neighborhood.  Isabelle Thackers contacted the Massachusetts Department of Wildlife and spoke with Jim Cardoza, who is a wildlife biologist specializing in turkeys and found out some interesting facts for us:

Turkeys are dominant creatures and they have a pecking order.  It is mating season and the male turkeys view humans as a threat and want to dominate us.  They do this by pecking and beating their wings toward us.  
Turkeys do not bite and disease is spread through contact with excrement (touching poop, not washing hands, and then touching something that gets to your mouth.)
Mating season runs from March to May, with the peak being towards the end of April.
The turkeys' aggression has nothing to do with hunger. 
Turkeys are moving into more residential areas because there are fewer predators (no hunting and no "other" wild animals)....they feel they can dominate humans.

Jim suggested carrying an umbrella and flaring it out so that the turkey appreciates the human's dominance, (we tried this over the weekend, and it really worked, the turkey started squawking and walked away).  He also suggested carrying a broom and swatting at the turkey.  He said running is not a good thing to do because the turkey views that as victory and it reinforces its dominance.  The police can kill a turkey if it has harmed a person. It's very hard to catch turkeys and there is no place to move them to.  Here is a link which details a lot of this information:
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfw_turkey.htm
Thanks to Isabelle for taking the time to inform us of our wild neighbors!

Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education
The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education invites you to our April meeting.  All meetings are at 7:30PM at the Education Center, 100 Walnut St.
Wednesday, April 4    “Fiddle and Focus:  Sensory Integration Strategies for School Success” by Jane Koomar, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA,Executive Director and Founder of Occupational Therapy Associates–Watertown, MA. Learn how to help children access their abilities by enhancing their focus with sensory activities that help keep their bodies calmed or busy while their minds learn.  Discussion will include the impact of sensory processing issues on learning motor skills, behavior, coordination and social relationships.  Home and school accommodations and strategies will be shared.  We will discuss children with a range of diagnoses, including ADD, PDD, Aspergers, NVLD, PTSD.  Dr. Koomar, is the board president of the SPIRAL Foundation (SensoryProcessing Institute for Research and Learning) and has taught over one hundred courses on sensory integration theory, assessment, and intervention throughout the United States and Canada. 
For more information, contact Leslie Lockhart at newtonspedpac at yahoo.com or 617-527-5046.

KINDERGARTEN and GRADES ONE THROUGH FIVE: REGISTRATION FOR THE 2007-2008  SCHOOL YEAR
Children who will be 5-years-old on or before August 31, 2007 are eligible to enter kindergarten in the Newton Public Schools in September 2007.  Students who will be 6-years old on or before August 31, 2007 are eligible to enter grade one. Please share this information with anyone with in your neighborhood.  We encourage all residents who anticipate enrolling a child in kindergarten or any grade for next school year to contact the school now at 617.559.9400. Ms. Driscoll, our school secretary will answer your questions and provide all the necessary documents and requirements for school enrollment.
PLANS FOR 2007- 2008
Do you anticipate any changes for next school year? If you have a move to a new home in Newton or elsewhere, please contact Ms. Driscoll at 617.559.9400 immediately. We will keep your information confidential until early Spring and will only use this information to help predict our classroom needs for next year.

Newton Public Schools
The city-wide screening for children born between September 1, 2002 and April 1, 2004 is designed to identify preschool age children who may need special services. Testing will be done for vision, hearing, speech and language and general development. This is a free and optional service. This is NOT for children entering Kindergarten in the fall 2007, as they will be screened at their local schools.
The screening will be held from 9am to 2pm on Wednesday, April 11th 2007 at the Education Center, 100 Walnut Street, Newtonville. Parents who are interested in having their children screened should call 617 559 6050 as soon as possible to set up an appointment.

Modern Dads: How Men’s Lives are changing & Why It Matters to Families
Project Interface and the Newton PTO Council present a seminar by John Badalament on April 11th 7:30-9pm at the Newton Cultural Center Auditorium at 225 Nevada Street, Newton. This seminar will present research about how fathers impact their children’s lives academically, cognitively & emotionally, describe the “5 practices of a Modern Dad” and how women and mothers can support and challenge fathers & father figures to use these practices, and much more.

Project Bread: The Walk for Hunger
Are you interested in participating in the Walk for Hunger on Sunday, May 6th? You can organize your own team or join one already established. All the proceeds raised go to help hungry families in Massachusetts. For more details either check out the information posted on the Social Action Bulletin board (above Lost & Found), call 617 239 2558 or go to www.projectbread.org 

This has been 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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