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Brown School News
A NOTE TO SIXTH GRADE PARENTS FROM BROWN SCHOOL NURSE
Attention sixth grade parents; please be aware that for your child to move on to 7th grade they must have on file a copy of the most recent physical from their doctor showing they have had a tetanus booster shot within past five years. Please send a copy of this form to the nurse's (Maureen Bisaga, RN) office so their files can be updatedFrom the PTO
WHAT A TURNOUT!
Thanks to all who joined us for our PTO Math Evening. With close to 100 in attendance, this again proves to be a topic of great importance to parents. Lots of opinions were shared and heard by parents, teachers and administrators on topics ranging from how many levels of math are necessary, how to improve class size and tips for helping kids be more successful in math. We are grateful to Mary Eich, K-8 Curriculum Coordinator for the City of Newton, Steven Rattendi, Newton South H.S. Mathematics Department Chair, Rebecca Fishbein and Kim Lysaght, Brown mathematics teachers and department co-chairs for sharing their time and expertise. We’ll keep you posted if there is follow up discussion at a future School Council meeting.
BROWN LADIES’ NIGHT OUT - “Siete de Febrero”
Calling all ladies of the Brown community! Mark your calendars and come join us for the...Brown Ladies’ Night Out.
7 to 10pm on Thursday, February 7 at KITCHEN VIEWS - 718 Beacon St., Newton Centre (next to Post Office)
MINGLE... in a great space with a cheerful vibe, not to mention beautiful custom kitchens! MUNCH... tasty hors d’oeuvres prepared and served by friends and neighbors! MARGARITAS—have one! or two! or some wine or Dos Equis! or a Coke!
We could still use a few more food makers/servers!Questions? Want to help out? Please contact Kathleen Hobson (617-964-5848 or kathleen.hobson@comcast.net).
We hope to see you there!
The Committee: Lisa Cohen, Sue Hardy, Kathleen Hobson, Bryna Klevan, Betsy Silverman, Amy Stein
PRESENTATION ON BENEFITS OF METCO PROGRAM
The Brown/Oak Hill Respect for Human Differences Committee invites you to Metco in Massachusetts: A Significant Work in Progress. This program will be held on Tuesday, February 26, at 7pm at the Mason Rice Elementary School. Susan Eaton, Research Director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute on Race and Justice at Harvard Law School will be the presenter. Ms. Eaton is also the author of The Other Boston Busing Story: What's Won and Lost Across the Boundary Line, The Children in Room E4: American Education on Trial, and co-author, with Gary Orfield, of Dismantling Desegregation: The Quiet Reversal of Brown v. Board of Education. This event is co-sponsored by the Newton PTO Council and Newton PTOs.
7TH & 8TH GRADE BOOK CLUB
To all 7th & 8th Graders and their parents who like to read and talk about books: The 7th & 8th grade Parent-Student Book Club will hold its first meeting Wednesday, February 27th from 7-8:30 pm at the Brown M.S. library. We will be discussing House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, and will serve light refreshments.
If you would like to join us for great conversation and guaranteed bonding time with your child (should they deem to sit next to you), please RSVP to Suzanne MacBain (suzanne@macbain.com) or (Lauren Adams laurenadams@rcn.com). Spread the word! The more the merrier! If parents are unable to attend, 7th & 8th graders are welcome to come on their own. Enjoy a great read for the winter break!
Nancy Farmer, a two-time Newbery honoree, surpasses even her marvelous novel, The Ear, The Eye and the Arm in the breathless action and fascinating characters of The House of the Scorpion. Readers will be reminded of Louis Sachar's Holes in the camaraderie of imprisoned boys and the layers of meaning embedded in this irresistibly compelling story... Farmer's novel may be futuristic, but it hits close to home, raising questions of what it means to be human, what is the value of life, and what are the responsibilities of a society. Readers will be hooked from the first page. (from Amazon reviews)
PTO BOARD MEETING RESCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, JAN. 24, 7:30PM, MIMI'S HOUSE, ALL ARE WELCOME!
New spring event - book fair/movie night/cafe!! This will be the topic of discussion along with General Business and reports from Ladies Night Out. We will also be discussing positions for next year. Please join us for the second of four PTO Board Meetings. Please come if you are a chair of a committee or officer. We are also looking for 6th, 7th and 8th grade members at large. All are welcome to come by and share your opinions. RSVP brownpto@brownpto.org (Mimi's house: 129 Hagen Rd., 02459, 617-964-2908)
2007-2008 BROWN PTO PROGRAM ENRICHMENT GRANTS AWARDS!
For the second year, teachers and staff have submitted requests for program grants from the Brown PTO. Principal Jordan and the Brown PTO review all requests and determine how best to allocate the $5,000 of PTO Enrichment Funds annually. Priority is given to requests benefiting the greatest number of students and requests with no other source of funding.
Thank you to the many teachers who submitted requests for Brown PTO Program Enrichment Grants. We greatly appreciate your taking the time to think of ways to make our children's learning experience better. We are thrilled to have requests this year totally over $9000. Although the PTO budget for Program Enrichment Grants is $5000, we are able to fund or partially fund a majority of requests. These grants are not possible without the donations to the PTO from parents!
Program Enrichment Grants for 2007-2008 are awarded to:
Jeffrey Primeau - Phy. Ed. Dept. for safety goggles
Jennifer Carlisle/Holly Graham - 6th Grade Social Studies for wall maps to enhance geography units
Charles Roye/Carlton Doctor - Costumes for Honk the musical
Laurie Wadsworth - Music Dept. partial funding of a bass clarinet for Wind Ensemble
Technology Dept. for 3 video cameras requested by Kate Daoust, Mary McGuire, William Sheppard and Robin Miller.
Rebecca Cohen - 6th grade Social Studies for in-class mosaic project
Melissa Barra – Maps for French/ Spanish department
Christine Vaillancourt - Technology Dept. towards purchase of toner cartridges for color printer for use by Art classes
Please feel free to contact us with ideas, questions, anything!
Sincerely,
Mimi Karys (617-964-2908) and Lucia Dolan (617-332-1893), brownpto@brownpto.org
PTO Co-Presidents
From the Newton Public Schools
NEWTON PAC ON SPECIAL EDUCATION JANUARY MEETING
Please come to the Newton Parent Advisory Council on Special Education January Meeting on Wednesday January 30, 7-9pm in Room 318, Education Center, 100 Walnut St, Newton, MA 02460
John Passarini Ed.D. will speak on adapted physical education and inclusive school environments that help all students to succeed. John has experience working with students with a wide range of disabilities, including autism, learning and physical disabilities. He was the National Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the year in 2000 and was selected from 185,000 nominees to be the Disney Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 2003. John grew up in Newton and attended Newton schools with a learning disability. Although John was embarrassed by his poor academic skills, he was supported by his good attitude, his friends and strong athletic skills. John now teaches adapted physical education at Salem State, Northeastern and Boston University. His website is www.johnpassarini.com. For more information, please email info@newtonpac.org.
Community News
THE 40TH ANNUAL MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. NEWTON COMMUNITY CELEBRATION
Monday, January 21 at 10:30am at the Second Church in Newton, UCC, 60 Highland Street, West Newton
Honored Guests: Mayor David Cohen, Congressman Barney Frank, Dr. Jeffrey Young and Alexander Levering Kern,
Director, Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries
Reflections by Newton School Students, Musical Selections by: Newton All City Honors Chorus, Harambee, and The Love Tones. Co-sponsored by the City of Newton and the Newton Interfaith Clergy Association
“THE WORLD AT OUR FINGERTIPS"
The Newton Schools Foundation's 2008 annual fundraiser "The World At Our Fingertips" is an opportunity for you to travel the globe through hosted dinners at restaurants and homes across the villages of Newton - while supporting great education in Newton. Taste delicious cuisine crossing diverse regions and engage with many wonderful and varied guest speakers. The Winter Dinner Series runs from February 1 - February 10 and benefits the Newton Public Schools. Details on specific dining options, date, time and contribution levels can be found at www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org, or by email nikki_shearman@newton.k12.ma.us or by calling the Newton Schools Foundation office at 617-559-6120.
FREE FLU CARE PRESENTATION AT THE NEWTON FREE LIBRARY
A free presentation, "Flu: What You Can Do, Caring For Someone at Home" will be held at the Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., on Wednesday, Feb. 13 from 7:30 to 8:30pm. The program includes information about preparing for seasonal and pandemic flu, how to care for someone who is sick, and how to prevent getting the flu. Speakers will be from the city's Health & Human Services Department. For more information, call 617-796-1360.
PROJECT ALLIANCE WORKSHOPS
The following free Project Alliance In-Service workshops are a great way to receive thorough and current information about things that affect our students learning. All workshops will be held from 3 to 5pm at the Education Center Annex, 100 Walnut. A minimum of 25 participants are needed to run the workshops. For more information about Project Alliance, please visit www.projectalliance.org
- January 16, Internet Safety: Between e-mail, instant messaging, and chat rooms, how can educators and parents teach children to stay safe online? This training is designed to build awareness about the opportunities and dangers that are unique to the Internet. Participants will learn about the crimes that are most frequently perpetrated against juveniles, criminal law and how it can protect us, and how to involve parents in safeguarding their children.
- February 6, Alcohol and Other Drugs: The leading causes of death among 16- to 24-year-olds are alcohol and other drugs. Parents, educators, and community leaders need to have up-to-date information on trends in student use of alcohol as well as the newest designer, over the counter, and club drugs.
- March 6, Eliminating Intolerance: Bullying, harassment, racism, and acts of violence often stem from one core element: intolerance. This training will equip you with practical tools and effective strategies to foster a climate of respect and safety within your school or community. Learn how to dispel prevalent myths about bullying, review recent research on violence prevention best practices, and elicit buy-in from both students and parents. Participants will have the opportunity to role-play the most effective things to say and do during an incident involving intolerance.
"THINK OUTSIDE THE BOTTLE"
Monday, January 28 at 7pm at the Newton Free Library, Druker Auditorium, join us for a screening of the award-winning documentary Thirst and a talk by Deborah Lapidus of Corporate Accountability International's Think Outside the Bottle Campaign. Is the availability of clean water a human right for all people, or is it a commodity to be bought, sold, and traded in a global marketplace? Corporate Accountability International is a membership organization that protects people by waging and winning campaigns that challenge irresponsible and dangerous corporate actions around the world. All Environmental Speaker Series events are held at the Newton Free Library, Druker Auditorium, at 7pm, usually on the 3rd Monday of the month, January through June. For more information about the series, call 617-965-1995 or http://www.greendecade.org/environmentalspeaker.html
WEAVING TOGETHER STORIES ABOUT ABOLITION
A scrap of cloth at the Newton history museum, a scrap of cloth at the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming. Both almost 200 years old. They match up. Come and learn how the pieces were separated and what they have to do with New England abolition. See the original textile, and touch a reproduction. Learn about the Underground Railroad, interpret code songs, and hear compelling stories of escape. The exhibit is called “Weaving Together Stories about Abolition”. It’s a great program for the whole family to share. Sunday Jan. 27, 3:30-5pm. Info: 617-796-1450 or www.newtonhistorymuseum.org.
NEWTON FREE LIBRARY SPECIAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROGRAM
The Underground Railroad, from Newton to the End of the Line, Thursday, February 21 at 7pm. Learn about Newton’s connection to the Underground Rail Road, hear a musical tribute to Harriet Tubman and an author talk on the newly published book From Midnight to Dawn, which deals with the Detroit to Canada end of the Rail Road. We encourage ages 12+ and adults to attend. Info: 617-796- 1410 or check out our online calendar at: http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/library/Programs/calendar.htm
OPEN GYM DAY AT RHYTHMIC DREAMS
Rhythmic Dreams is offering an introductory workshop for school-aged children on Monday, January 21, 2-4pm. Children will have an opportunity to learn and practice new gymnastics skills, play games, and watch an exhibition by Rhythmic Dreams award-winning competitive team. Space is limited - please call ahead to reserve a spot. Suggested donation: $1. For more information on both events call 617-233-4493 or info@rhythmicdreams.com
NEWTONOPOLY NOW ON SALE!!
Available for the first time in over 20 years, our own local version of the classic board game! Newtonopoly plays like the popular game, but features local businesses as property such as Cabots, JP Licks, Bills Pizza and more! A great present for residents, both current and former, of all ages. Proceeds will pay for software and computer updates in the Newton North Business Dept, along with a portion to benefit the Carroll Center for the Blind. Developed and marketed by the Newton North Business Club. To order: Mail a check for $20 payable to Newton North Business Club, c/o Robert Kane NNHS, 360 Lowell Ave. Newtonville, MA 02460. Include your name, address, phone, email. Free local delivery. For more information, call 617-965-9361
NEWTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCE
The Newton Symphony Orchestra is approaching its next performance: February 3rd (Superbowl Sunday) at 3pm at the Rashi Auditorium, 15 Walnut Park, Newton Concert. We are very excited to have James Orent conducting this concert and he is very excited to be working with us, having grown up in Newton and been a student of Henry Lasker, one of the orchestra's early champions. Maestro Orent is very happy to make himself available for interviews, should you be interested in speaking to him. Besides being a conductor and violinist (he plays with the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra and substitutes with the Boston Symphony) he is also a pilot and skydiver; he has great stories to tell! He can be contacted by email at windvoyager177@comcast.net or by phone on 603-594-9025. In addition, Pianist Michael Lewin will play Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the orchestra on February 3rd. Michael recently moved, with his family, to Newton and was a judge for our Classical Idol competition. For more information, visit www.newtonsymphony.org
FRANKLIN SCHOOL PTO PRESENTS THE EIGHTH ANNUAL MIDWINTER COFFEEHOUSE
The Coffeehouse grew out of our school community's interest in folk music and the wonderful cozy atmosphere a coffeehouse can provide on a winter's night. This event will feature local singer/songwriters who are active in the Boston folk music community and other performers from within the Franklin School community who have, or have had children at Franklin and have donated their talent to benefit the school’s PTO. In addition, we are honored to present award-winning songwriter Catie Curtis, now a Newton resident and Franklin parent. Join us on Saturday, February 9, 7 to 10:30pm at the First Unitarian Society Hall, 1326 Washington St., West Newton.
Doors open at 6:30pm, tickets are $15, available in advance or at the door to adults 21 or over. Refreshments include coffee, wine and beer, juice and soda, and snacks. For more information, including advanced ticket sales, contact Cindy Mapes at 617-527-4858 or midwintercoffeehouse@yahoo.com. This event is wheelchair-accessible.
Classifed
PIANO INSTRUCTION
A couple of choice times available now for piano lessons in the Newton area. Very experienced teacher for all ages and levels. Chamber Music arranged when appropriate. In my home nearby or through the music school. Call Jane Wanger at 617-965-2305 or email thewangers@prodigy.net.
PIANO INSTRUCTION
Berklee & New England Conservatory graduate with 25+ years teaching experience has several openings in studio. Beginners Welcome. Learn Jazz/Blues/Classical, theory, sight-reading from a patient, caring teacher. Gloria Jasinski, call 617-566-9704 or email piano566@comcast.net
EXPERIENCED MATH TUTOR
Experienced Newton Middle school math teacher with over 20 years of middle school and elementary classroom teaching and tutoring experience is accepting students. Call Russ at 508-847-8282 or email russellahunt@yahoo.com
TEMPORARY (6 MONTH) PART-TIME ESTATE PLANNER NEEDED
Draft documents at small, family friendly, estate/trust planning and administration law firm in Newton. Must have at least 3 years planning and related tax experience. Collegial yet professional atmosphere. Email resume to LFarina@CPLawPro.com
Brown PTO Newsletter
The newsletter will publish, at the sole discretion of the PTO, articles and other information of interest to the Brown Middle School Community.SUBMISSIONS: by email to editor@brownpto.org,by US mail to Brown Middle School PTO, Newsletter Editor, 125 Meadowbrook Road, Newton, MA 02459, or by drop off in the Brown Office Mailroom. Deadline Saturday evenings.
Important Email Addresses
PTO President - brownpto@brownpto.org
Newsletter Editor - editor@brownpto.org
Webmaster - webmaster@brownpto.org