Shutesbury

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Dear Moose Community,

We had another icy, chilly and wintery week at SES. We did have a delay, but were able to finish an entire week of school! This week the students in the 1/2 presented their work at their Countries of Origin Fair. Older students participated in some MCBA events and the famous 'Mike with the Mic' trio in 3rd grade presented a 27 minute show segment at assembly. If you haven't heard about 'Mike with the Mic', please ask your student! They are famous 3rd grade reporters (who strangely enough are not named Mike) that report on lots of interesting things at SES with the help of Ms. Lee. This week, they revealed some hidden talents of SES staff!

It is hard to believe that we welcome February next week. February vacation is the week of February 19-23rd. You can expect report cards to go home with your child on Friday, February 16th.

We will soon be communicating the MCAS testing calendar for the spring. This year grades 4, 5 and 6 will be taking the state tests on the computer. Grade 3 will continue taking the test on paper. Next year, it is a state requirement that all students will take the test electronically. Luckily we have laptop carts, an iPad cart and a computer lab, so we are well equipped for the challenge. Testing will begin in April.

Have a great weekend!

Jackie

***SCHOOL NEWS***

PICK UP AND AFTER SCHOOL REMINDERS: 

We have had a changing of the guards and Ms. Darby is our new adult present in the Pick Up room (school library).  If you are picking up your child/ren or if someone else is picking up your child/ren, please make sure they sign out with Ms. Darby.  This ensures the safety of all students and the sanity of all staff.

We cannot allow any more drop-ins for the After School Program on Wednesdays due to a full house and just enough staffing.  If your child is already on the standing list for Wednesdays, they are welcome to still come.  If you do not have a standing spot in the After School Program on Wednesdays, please do not send your child to school with a drop-in yellow note.  Please make alternate arrangements for your child.  Thank you!

***PTO NEWS***

BOXTOPS BOXTOPS BOXTOPS

What are they and why should we cut them out? You can find Boxtops for Education on many grocery items like: Cheerios, Betty Crocker cake mixes, Food Should Taste Good chips, Cascadian Farms products and many others! Every Boxtop we send in earns us 10 cents for our school. That doesn't seem like much, but every year our school earns around $200 through this program! Just remember to cut those Boxtops out before you put your boxes and cans in the recycling. You can send Boxtops in to the school anytime. We will be mailing a bundle at the end of February so this month and next would be a great time to drop them off at the school. You can also send them in with your kids.

Thanks,

Amber O'Brien, your Boxtop coordinator :)

***MOOSE INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK***

Quinn from 1^st Grade!

JCB:  What is your favorite thing to do at school?
QD-C:  Play outside.  Make igloos.  I’ve been trying to make a fort but it didn’t work out.

JCB:  What is your favorite food?
QD-C:  Pizza.  Just plain cheese.

JCB:  What is your favorite thing to do outside of school?
QD-C:  Watch TV and make things – toys, things like cities, projects and stuff.  I use paint, cardboard, tape, paper, markers.

JCB:  If you could be any animal what animal would you be and why?
QD-C:  A tiger because I like them.  An orange, striped tiger.

JCB:  Is there anything else you’d like the Shutesbury community to know about you or is there anything special about you?
QD-C:  They [brothers] call me the Lego Master because I make really, really cool Lego things.  I was trying to make an Iron Man mask and instead I took it apart and I builded a Lego set that was for age 9-14.

Photo credit to Martina Dooley-Carvalho.

Local Democratic Town Committees Co-Sponsor Educational Event and Demonstration Cookie-Tasting Election

Please join us for a fun, non-partisan educational event! Several Democratic Party Town Committees are hosting a family-friendly event showcasing Ranked Choice Voting (RCV).  Speakers from Voter Choice Massachusetts (www.voterchoicema.org) will give a presentation on the benefits of RCV while participants will get to experience a hands-on demonstration of the method while voting for their favorite cookie.  Families with children are welcome. Co-Sponsors include the Town Democratic Committees of Shutesbury, Pelham, Leverett and New Salem.

The event will be held on Sunday, January 28, from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the Shutesbury Elementary School, 23 West Pelham Road, Shutesbury. Cookie tasting and ballot counting will take place between 2:00 and 2:30 p.m.  Gluten-free options will be available.

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is an innovative approach to elections that allows voters to choose multiple candidates rather than casting a ballot for only one candidate. By ranking choices, an Instant Runoff Election can be conducted if no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes. RCV is gaining traction across the country due to its many benefits:  no more spoilers, no more vote-splitting, reduced negative campaigning, greater party unity, and assurance that winning candidates have true majority support. RCV elections can increase voter participation and promote a more inclusive democratic process.

Nearly 4 million Americans live in communities that use RCV, including many communities that use it for their local elections. In November 2016, Maine voters chose to make their state the first in the U.S.A. to use a statewide system of Ranked Choice Voting. In addition, 18 U.S. cities have enacted Ranked Choice Voting for their local elections: including Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN; Oakland and San Francisco, CA; Takoma Park, MD; Basalt and Telluride, CO; Memphis, TN; Santa Fe, NM; Sarasota, FL; Ferndale, MI; Cambridge, MA; and many more.

For more information, contact [email protected].