A Heartfelt Thank You to the Pine Glen PTO from the LTC

Dear PTO,

Every good school has a good Parent Teacher Organization supporting it. At Pine Glen, we are fortunate to have a great PTO working tirelessly to bring a high level of enrichment and opportunity to our students.

The Pine Glen Library & Technology Center is especially grateful that you have agreed to support some of our lofty wishes and endeavors. Thank you for the following:

• New cushions for the library to encourage browsing, lingering, and exploring 
• Styluses for the iPads to use with apps that require finer motor control 
• Headphones for the iPads for when students need to work independently 
• Volunteering to help run the Fall Scholastic Book Fair where we raised $1,400.00! –and for agreeing to wear those silly alien headbands :)

Thank You PTO!

Thank You for helping to make the Pine Glen LTC the best program possible for our students.

Fondly,
Laura and Dan

PS: Have you seen the Pine Glen LTC blog recently? We've been posting some of our favorite projects there, as well as information for you about the Birthday Book Club and how to find the best apps and books for your children.

Mr. Lyons reading The Polar Express to Kindergarten

Watch the video.

Principal Notes: Happy Holidays

As principal, I have enjoyed so much this year seeing our students grow socially and academically. Following many students in the building now for two and a half years I have shared in great delight with the teachers seeing their growth.

The joy and excitement I see in young children when they learn something for the first time and are totally engaged in their learning is just as magical as the holidays themselves. What makes childhood special is that it is quick. This was very relevant to me this week when I looked at pictures of my daughters from past holidays. In many ways I would like to preserve this time and never have it stop.

Please take time this holiday season to enjoy the miracle that is children. I hope everyone in our Pine Glen Community has a great holiday break and a Happy New Year! Peace and joy to all and goodwill to all people everywhere!

Winter Concert 1-2-3

Here's the first, second, and third graders performing in their Winter Concert.

Principal Notes: Learning at Pine Glen on a Typical Friday

Today I walked through a few classrooms and happened to take some pictures. This is some of the learning I saw talking place on a typical Friday at Pine Glen.

Third graders reading letters they wrote to each other about positive traits their classmates demonstrate.
Third graders learning about time. The students are holding clock manipulatives and the interactive white board is displaying analog and digital time.

Third grade students incorporating sounds into their poems by utilizing an iPad. The interactive white board in the back is used for a model.

Two teachers collaborating on ways to engage students with written expression while integrating technology.

Fourth grade students working at a center during English Language Arts.

Winter Concert

Watch the video of the Winter Concert.

Note from PTO

Hi Members, Pine Glen Art Teacher, Ms. Courtney Fallon, is seated in the main lobby before wonderful artwork that the students created with the school iPads. Fanned in front of Ms. Fallon, is a ream of colored art paper that Pine Glen received by redeeming Coke Rewards points. We would like to thank Laura Kaye, who chairs the program, and everyone who supports it. As a reminder, you may send in bottle caps or donate points directly by logging onto www.mycokerewards.com. Products include Dasani Water, Powerade, Minute Maid Orange Juice, Nestea, and other Coke-brand sodas. By entering codes found under caps or inside carton boxes, Pine Glen will redeem points for art supplies. You may send in the caps/carton codes to school or log on yourself and enter the codes. Simply log onto the website, click right-hand tab "Donate to Your School", enter 01803 zip code, tab down to "Pine Glen", register and enter codes. Please contact Laura Kaye at LLKayenc@yahoo.com with any questions. Again, thank you for your continued support. Sincerely, Maria Woods and the Pine Glen PTO Board

Note from BHS

BHS will hold its annual Holiday Concert next Thursday, Dec 15, at 7:30 pm in the Fogelberg Performing Arts Center. Lots of great music performed by the BHS Chorus and Select Singers, BHS Concert Band and BHS Jazz Band. FREE! Handicapped accessible.

Note from Yearbook Committee

Dear 5th Grade Parents...

Thank you to all who have been able to submit candid pictures for the 5th grade yearbook. We are still collecting pictures and are a long way from finishing. We understand that it is a busy time of year for all, but would appreciate any pictures you can submit prior to the holiday break. If you are unable to do so before the break, maybe there will be some time during the break for you go down memory lane and collect pictures to submit during/after the break.

At this point, we will collect any and all pictures you may have from their K-5 years at school events:
~ Small group photos will work best - please send in pictures with 2 or more kids and/or teachers in each photo.
~ School events can include any and all Field Trips (ie - Kindergarten Swan Boats, 1st Grade Tide Pool, 3rd Grade Duck Boats, 5th Grade Camp Bournedale), Classroom Parties, Halloween, Turkey Trot, Holiday Concerts, Special Assemblies, Special Projects (ie - 3rd Grade Famous Massachusetts Person, 4th Grade Rocket Day and Invention Convention), Field Day, Lunch and Recess...

~ REMINDER: Have your cameras ready for the upcoming Winter Concert on Tuesday night (the 13th).

We can accept any of the following formats for pictures:
~ Email your photos as attachments to: duck19local@photos.flickr.com
If emailing your photos, please be sure to include the names of the kids and grade in the Subject line. There is no need to type a message.

~ Flash Drive
~ CD
~ 4x6 prints (please keep to a minimum)

If sending in any prints, CDs or Flash Drives to school, please mark them as "5th Grade Yearbook" and have your child give the envelope to his/her teacher. All pictures, CDs, and/or Flash Drives will be returned. Please be sure to include your child's name on any item to be returned.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at pgyearbook12@gmail.com.

Thank you again for all your help.
Pine Glen Yearbook Committee
~Dina Accardi
~Katie Capobianco
~Lisa Crowe
~Kristen Downie
~Marie Grinnell
~Lisa MacNeil
~Maria Woods

Progress Reports

The progress reports you received yesterday were printed using new software and printing machinery. This is the first new progress report for elementary schools in Burlington in seventeen years. We have noticed a few printing errors and formatting errors on attendance and dismissals. We are working on correcting these issues for the next progress report period.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Please remember that there is no school for students tomorrow. I know teachers are looking forward to seeing parents at parent conferences.

Note from the Burlington Food Pantry

small change can create BIG change

We all have it…maybe in a jar, a junk drawer, a jewelry box, or sometimes it can be found underneath furniture cushions, in an old coat, or in your car.

Let’s gather our spare change just lying around serving no purpose and really make a difference in our community. On behalf of People Helping People and the Burlington Food Pantry, we will be participating in a change drive to raise money to help our families in need.

A five-gallon water bottle will be placed in your school for two weeks beginning Monday, December 5 and ending Friday, December 16. So, if you’ve got coin kicking around…bring it in and drop it in the jug!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Orion Golden who is this year's winner of the "Name the Alligator Contest."

Please check out the Burlington Science Center Blog via the link below to learn more about this and other activities related to science.

Burlington Science Center Blog

Note from PTO

Come on down

to

Uno Chicago Grill in the Burlington Mall

this

Wednesday, 12/7 and Thursday, 12/8

for a

“Dough Raiser”

Simply hand in the attached coupon

(which will be coming home in backpacks on Monday)

and

Uno Chicago Grill will donate 15-20%

of

Pine Glen friends and family sales back

to

Pine Glen School.

Good for eat-in and take-out!

The more we eat, the more we earn!

NOTE FROM TOYS FOR TOTS

• Pine Glen will be collecting Toys for Tots. Any unwrapped toy can be dropped off outside the main office. Till December 14, 2011.

Dr. Eric Conti speaking with the Burlington community about Standards Based Progress Reports

This video is from Dr. Conti's presentation to parents about the new Standards Based Progress Reports on November 30th.

Report Card Meeting for Parents Nov 30

Report Cards are Changing!

Dr. Conti will be hosting a Report Card Meeting on November 30 at 6:30pm at Francis Wyman school to discuss with parents the new standards-based report cards. The report cards have a new format and grading system. This meeting is in preparation for report card distribution on December 7th. We are encouraging parents to attend so that when they receive their child’s report card they will be familiar with the format and have a better understanding of how student progress is being reported to parents.

Note from Principal: The Future

When I watched the fourth grade launch their rockets, several thoughts occurred in my mind. One was the problem solving skills and engaging learning involved in this project. A second thought was one of these students could be the first astronaut to fly a rocket to Mars and the skills they have learned at Pine Glen will help them complete the mission. One of my favorite movies of all time is Toy Story, which has an astronaut, named Buzz Lightyear. I will borrow the quote from Buzz in to help express that a love of learning and life long learners will bring us, “To infinity and beyond.”

Note from Principal: What I am Thankful for this Year

A regular tradition my family has at Thanksgiving to go around the table during dinner and say what we are most thankful for this year. One thing that came to mind last night while reading to my daughters before bedtime was the wishing wand hanging up in their bedroom. Seven years ago a colleague of mine gave birth to a daughter who needed a heart transplant. To help support her family, several of my colleagues made wooden “Wishing Wands” - a wooden star wand that was uniquely decorated and sold these as a fundraiser. The “baby” is now in second grade and doing very well!

The wishing wand made me think back to my days of teaching and some of my students who were the first to receive surgeries that at the time were considered to be groundbreaking, miracle procedures. I had followed the progress of several of these students and they are all doing great.

My niece will be celebrating her second birthday this year in January. She was born at 24 weeks and was called a micro-preemie. The pediatrician refers to her as a miracle. She is a petite talking, walking, and smiling toddler who inspires me every day.

What I am most thankful for this year are children. Thinking of how delicate life is and how close in the balance my niece’s first months alive were, past/current students amazing challenges with cancer and other similar medical challenges, and my friend’s children’s lives have been makes me reflect on how much children add and help us rejoice life in general.

I thank all the parents of Burlington for letting me play a role in enriching your children’s lives. I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!

Note from Library and Technology Center

Pine Glen Scholastic Book Fair

December 5-9, 2011

All proceeds go to the Pine Glen Library & Technology Center

Monday, December 5

Preview Day

Tuesday-Thursday, December 6-8

Student Shopping Days (TBD)

Friday, December 9

Parent Conferences

Parent Holiday Shopping Day

“A book is a gift you can open again and again.”--Garrison Keillor

Support the Book Fair Online

Monday, November 28--Monday, December 12

All purchases will be sent to Pine Glen after the Online Book Fair closes on December 12.

Scholastic ensures that orders will be delivered to Pine Glen prior to the holiday break.

Don’t forget to add the 6.25% sales tax!

Visit the Pine Glen Book Fair Home Page for more information:

The following link below will take you to Pine Glen's new web page.

Pine Glen Web Page