The Peirce Weekly

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We hope everyone is having a good December so far! As the winter chill settles in, we want to remind everyone to ensure Peirce students are dressed warmly for school. Please make sure your kids come to school with appropriate winter clothing, including jackets, hats, gloves, and scarves. It is also really helpful if winter items are labeled to prevent any mix-ups and losses.

We are looking forward to our December meetup on Thursday, December 21 at the Arlington Brewing Co. Pop-Up Tap Room at The Roasted Granola. Please join us for a snack or a drink or both, and bring your ideas and inspiration for what you would like to see from the Peirce PTO over the next year.

ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS COVID-19 & FLU Vaccine Clinic

Ages 3 and up

Appointments Preferred

Walk-ins Welcome

Who: All APS Students, Staff & Families

Where: Arlington High School

Main Entrance on Mass Ave.

When: December 15, 2023, 2-6 pm - Appointment Link

What Do I Bring: Vaccine Informed Consent Form & insurance card if you have one

Planning: Wear a short sleeved shirt

If you need assistance making an appointment, please contact your principal or building school nurse.

THANK YOU! The Peirce PTO would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this year's annual fund drive. Your generosity will help us continue to offer wonderful enrichment activities, community events, and so much more for our school.

With gratitude this holiday season,

Peirce PTO

Thursday, December 21

7:00 PM

Arlington Brewing Co. Pop-Up Taproom @The Roasted Granola

1364 Mass Ave

Instead of a December PTO Meeting, please join us for a PTO fireside chat at The Roasted Granola.

Come with your questions, comments, or just to hang out.

Enjoy snacks and beverages while supporting two of our favorite neighborhood businesses.

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 Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is a parent group that acts as a resource for parents and advises the district regarding meeting the needs of students with disabilities.

We provide support and networking opportunities for parents and guardians of children with disabilities, and offer workshops and guest speakers to help parents become better informed about special education issues.

We meet regularly with school officials to participate in the planning, development and evaluation of special education programs in town.

All are welcome to join SEPAC TODAY, Dec. 12th at 7:30pm for our monthly business meeting. Hear updates from district staff, learn about upcoming workshops, ask questions, and connect with other parents and guardians interested in special education.

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86234778319?pwd=ZDFPdDNZZjZxbXVwNUYyZDR1VjJsUT09

AHS's annual Winter Concerts* will feature all AHS ensembles, including: Chorale, Concert Choir, Madrigal Singers, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Honors Orchestra, String Orchestra and Full Orchestra. All under the direction of both Ms. Mara Walker and Mr. Tino D'Agostino!

*All ensembles will perform in both performances. Free Admission.

An evening of songs! Join us to listen to Ottoson Choruses led by Ms. Cori Smith and Mr. Nathaniel Smith. Free Admission.

Join us to celebrate the end of 2023 with cheerful music! This concert will mark our last concert of 2023, and feature performances by students from the Brackett School Chorus, Elementary Chamber Orchestra, Ottoson Chamber Orchestra and various Arlington High School Ensembles. Free Admission.

Arlington Community Education offers dozens of after-school enrichment classes at all schools as well as hundreds of programs for adults and families. Browse the Winter 2024 Catalog or register here. Most classes begin the weeks of January 16 or 22nd. Offerings include:

ACE Kids: After-school enrichment classes for grades K-12 in arts & crafts, dance, music & theater, fantasy & games, fitness, languages, life skills, and STEM. View ACE Kids classes by school.

Family: Cooking, arts & crafts, games, walking tours

Adults: 300+ daytime and evening classes and lectures with a mix of in-person, online and outdoor options

Registration is also open for February Vacation classes at the Ottoson Middle School.

Free English Classes for Arlington Adults

ACE offers daytime and evening ESOL classes.

Wednesday, December 13

4:00 PM

411 Mass Ave - Arlington Fire Station

Join The Center for Jewish Life and the Arlington Fire Department for a night of Chanukah fun! We will begin the program with the menorah lighting ceremony and a fire safety presentation. Children will then have the opportunity to collect chocolate gelt as it “rains” from the top of the fire trucks! Chanukah crafts and donuts will be available as well.

Robbins Library hosts a monthly, in-person book club for kids that fall under the LGBTQ+ Rainbow umbrella. Welcome to readers of all genders currently enrolled in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade. We'll read a graphic novel with an LGBTQ+ main character and then meet up to chat, play games, and make a craft! This book club meets at the Robbins Library.

The book selection for each month will be available in the children's room of the Robbins Library for pickup prior to the club meeting. Kids can read the book themselves or have someone read it to them.

Registration is required. Please enter your child's name on the registration form and not your own.

This month's book is Goldie Vance by Hope Larson. The meeting is Thursday, December 14th from 3:30 - 4:15pm.

January, 25

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Town Hall Auditorium

Town of Arlington will celebrate our second annual Lunar New Year Celebration on January 25th at 4 pm at the Robbins Memorial Town Hall Auditorium with performances, activities, games and more. Lunar New Year is the most significant celebration of the year in cultures across Asia and is celebrated by millions of people all over the world as welcoming of Spring. Arlington's celebration is presented by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Division in collaboration with Enhance Asian Community on Health (EACH), Arlington High School’s Asian American Coalition and Chinese Culture Club, and the APS Mandarin Language Department. We are actively seeking volunteers to help co-create this special celebration, please reach out to Community Engagement Coordinator, Teresa, at tmarzilli@town.arlington.ma.us to get involved!

There is a lot to learn about the Lunar New Year! Did you know that in Vietnamese culture the Lunar New Year is called Tet? Seollal is the name of Korean Lunar New Year where it is customary to hide your shoes lest a ghost steals them and curses you with bad luck! Tibetan culture keeps its own lunar calendar, sometimes Losar (Tibetan New Year) is the same as the Chinese New Year, sometimes it’s a whole month later. According to Chinese legend the fireworks, firecrackers and red clothing and decorations customary of the Lunar New Year is due to the monster Nian who used to attack villagers at the beginning of the new year. Nian was terrified of bright lights, loud noises and the color red, so the villagers used those things to chase him away!