The Peirce Weekly
January 9, 2024
Thanks to everyone who made Family Literacy Night possible!
Thanks to all of the Peirce community members who came out for last Thursday's Family Literacy Night! 4th & 5th graders lead discussions with younger kids about the book Lubna and Pebble by Wendy Meddour and Daniel Egnéus. After talking about the book, the students moved into the cafeteria to paint rocks inspired by the story. Thanks so much to Mrs. Cohen, Ms. Stocker, Ms. Atryzek, and Mrs. Nichols for planning and making this evening so wonderful.
Check out lots of classic and new items - from sweatshirts and t-shirts to mugs and water bottles at our online store here.
When you make your purchase you will have multiple shipping options in a dropdown menu. You can either pay for shipping direct to your home, or the PTO will absorb the shipping cost and have a bulk order shipped to the school for pickup available mid-March. If you would like to be a part of the bulk order, you MUST place your order by Friday, February 16. This is a hard deadline set by our vendor. If you miss that deadline, the store will still be open year round, but you will need to pay for shipping.
The PTO Spirit Wear store is primarily designed to enhance school spirit, rather than serving as a significant fundraiser. While it generates some funds, its main goal is to cover the costs of production and our ability to offer these items to teachers and staff at cost.
February vacation is just a few weeks away! A break from school also means a break from free school meals that many families rely on. To help bridge that gap, Arlington EATS will be offering free pre-packed bags of groceries to any family with kids in Arlington schools in need of food support over the break. Vacation lunch bags filled with nutritious, easy to prepare, kid-friendly foods are available to pick up on Thursday, February 15 at Arlington EATS, 117 Broadway. Sign up here by February 6 or call 339-707-6757 ext. 6 to find out more.
Visit Arlington EATS at arlingtoneats.org to learn more about getting help with food, how to volunteer, and other ways to address food insecurity in Arlington.
Who is performing?: 3rd Graders on their recorders, as well as the 4th & 5th Grade Peirce Chorus!
What is happening?: A bunch of music! 3rd Graders will be performing what they have learned so far on the recorders, and 4th and 5th Graders will share their full chorus concert set!
Where is this happening?: In the Peirce gym!
When is it?: Thursday, February 1 at 5pm!
Who is invited?: Parents and families! We cannot wait to see you all and thank you for your support that you have given us!
We hope you will join us for this evening of family fun hosted by Peirce PTO and MC'd by Peirce teachers!
When: Friday, March 1st
Time: 6:30-8:30pm (Doors open at 6:15pm)
Where: Peirce Gymnasium
Admission is free! All children will receive an ice cream sandwich or popsicle as they exit the event.
We will play 6 rounds of Bingo, and will start with a tutorial on how to play this fun and fast-paced game. There will be an additional quiet bingo room for those interested.
Volunteers are needed to help with set-up, clean-up, and ice cream distribution. Sign up here.
The Peirce Snack Program, supported by Arlington EATS, provides snacks to any child who needs one (for any reason) so there is no stigma attached to getting a snack at school. Snacks are available in the classrooms and in the main office.
Support The Snack Program: If you have the ability, please consider supporting our snack program by donating snacks. You can purchase off the Amazon wish list by clicking the button below, or by donating snacks or money directly. Donations are welcome throughout the school year.
The Lost & Found is located on the 1st floor by the elevators. We would appreciate it families could label clothes and water bottles to minimize all that has to be donated. We try and take pictures of most items in the lost and found but it does become overwhelming.
Please be sure to check out our google photos for your students lost sweatshirts, water bottles and lunch boxes. The lost and found is already overwhelmed with items.
Arlington SEPAC is seeking input from Arlington parents and caregivers around their experiences with special education in the district. The SEPAC welcomes feedback from anyone with an interest in special education, whether you have a child with an IEP or not. Please help the SEPAC to understand and advocate for the needs of students and families by completing the annual SEPAC survey.
The survey is anonymous. Survey responses will be collected and viewed by SEPAC officers (parent volunteers), and a report on the results will be shared with the administration and with the School Committee. No identifying information will be shared.
All Arlington School Committee meetings are open to the public, and most are held both in person and over Zoom. For additional information on the Arlington School Committee, including its working groups, please visit their website. Agendas and reference material for each meeting will be available at least 48 business hours prior to the meeting and may be viewed on the Committee’s Agendas and Minutes page.
- January 30, 9:00 PM - Arlington School Committee, Budget Subcommittee Meeting - Hybrid
- February 5, 11:15 AM - Arlington School Committee, Budget Subcommittee Meeting - Hybrid
- February 8, 6:30 PM - Arlington School Committee Meeting - Hybrid
Dear APS community,
Thompson DIG is excited to be hosting another Unpacking Whiteness dialogue group this spring co-lead by parents Anne Moore and Elizabeth Rocco. The group will critically examine whiteness and the impact of white supremacy, with the goal of developing self-awareness and a working knowledge on a variety of issues. By creating a safe, brave space, we hope that we can more effectively work toward justice in our own lives and the world at large.
Intro session (no commitment required): Jan 30th from 7-8:30pm
Unpacking Whiteness series
When: 8 sessions, every other Tuesday from 7-8:30pm, Feb 13th- May 21st
Where: Virtually over Zoom
Who: Adults in the APS community, min 4 participants, max 10
Cost: Free!
Register: https://forms.gle/fHGrf1xuNtRwpxM79 (deadline Feb 10th)
What previous participants say:
- "Unpacking Whiteness was way better than any diversity training I've had at work. Taking real world experiences and having a safe place to talk about them has been helpful to me."
- “It helps to hear other people processing because it pushes me to think about my identity and my actions in a way I wouldn’t have thought about otherwise.”
An opportunity like this could cost hundreds of dollars, but this is free of charge. If you want to learn more about being anti-racist, start here!
For questions please contact Anne Moore (amoore26@gmail.com) or Elizabeth Rocco (egrocco@gmail.com). For questions about sign ups contact Megan Crowe-Rothstein (megancr@gmail.com).
From,
The Thompson Diversity and Inclusion Group
- Rainbow Readers Book Club, grades 3-5: Fun book club for kids who fall under the LGBTQ+ Rainbow umbrella. We’ll read a graphic novel with an LGBTQ+ main character and then meet up to chat and make a craft. We meet Thursdays at 3:30pm at Robbins – February 29th, March 14th, April 4th. Sign up is required at RainbowReadersSpring24.eventbrite.com.
- Second & Third Grade Book Club: Kids in grades 2 & 3: will meet and talk about fun books and do an activity. We meet Thursdays at 3:30pm at Robbins – February 8th, March 28th, April 11th. Sign up is required at https://secondthirdspring24.eventbrite.com
- Graphic Novel 4/5 Book Club: A graphic novel book club for kids in 4th & 5th grade: We will discuss the book and do an activity or craft. We meet Thursdays at 3:30pm at Robbins–February 15th, March 21st, and April 25th. Sign up is required at https://Graphicnovel-45-bookclub.eventbrite.com
- Kindergarten/1st Grade Book Club at Fox Library: https://K1bookclubfebmarapr.eventbrite.com
Join The Arlington Human Rights Commission & The Arlington Rainbow Commission in a
Day of Learning
Focused on Building Welcoming Communities
February 10, 11:00am to 2:00pm
Arlington High School
Featuring Keynote Speaker Sasha Chanoff, Founder & CEO of RefugePoint
Register here.