Starting on April 29, 2015, Lincoln-Eliot 5th Grade will be auctioning off a number of fun and unique items to bid on to raise money for our organization – and the more items we have the more money we can raise, so we’re asking for your help.

The auction will run from April 29, 2015 to May 10, 2015, with proceeds going to Lincoln-Eliot 5th grade camping trip. The trip is a once in a lifetime experience. All the 5th grade students at Lincoln-Eliot will spend 2 nights at an overnight camp with their classmates before they move on to middle school. Amazing memories and great friendships!

https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/auctionhome.action?auctionId=239736268

It’s time for the Otis Spunkmeyer Cookie Dough Fundraiser!

Order delicious, ready-to-bake Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, brownies and pretzels.
When purchased, Meadow Farms Fundraising will donate a portion of the proceeds back to L-E!

WHEN: Monday, April 27th through Friday, May 8th.

Look for the Meadow Farms flyer in your child’s purple folder, or get a sneak peak at the flyer:
http://www.meadowfarms.com/otis-spunkmeyer/

Questions?  Contact Carly at carly3380@gmail.com

All proceeds benefit the L-E PTO!

Join us this Sunday, April 26th fro 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM (RAIN OR SHINE)

Show your Lincoln-Eliot Pride and join us in Lincoln-Eliot’s 6^th Annual Newton Serves Day.

At the end of each school day, Lincoln-Eliot families gather to meet one another and let their children play in in the butterfly garden or in the “courtyard” in front of the school. In the playground, friends meet to run and climb. These are places where you see Lincoln-Eliot families connecting and friends laughing and playing.

Help us spruce up Lincoln-Eliot’s exterior spaces and playground. We will be spreading mulch, raking, weeding, preparing the butterfly garden, planting some flowers and getting our playground ready for the warm weather.

Come join us for 1 hour or for the morning.

Parent workers are needed, as well as kids willing to roll us their sleeves!  Everyone can pitch in.

For more information, contact arpollack2@yahoo.com or noraziz@gmail.com

Do you need extra support with your child care expenses?http://thenewtonpartnership.org/what-we-do/child-care-fund/

The Newton Partnership, Inc. awards financial assistance for child care to income-eligible families residing in Newton or for children who are currently enrolled in Newton Public Schools. To qualify, the child care provider must be licensed and recipients will be determined by lottery.

Click here to download the scholarship application for use from July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016.

Important Information for Applicants
Child Care Scholarship Funds must be used for child care coverage provided by alicensed provider(s) between July 1, 2015–June 30, 2016. $1,000 Scholarships are awarded to income eligible families residing in Newton or for children who are currently enrolled in Newton Public Schools.

Find out more about scholarship income-based eligibility here.

Important Dates
Deadlines must be strictly observed.

May 15, 2015: Deadline for completed applications including all required documents to be submitted for lottery eligibility.

May 18, 2015: Child Care Scholarship Lottery Drawing

May 22, 2015: Letters are mailed to all applicants; Scholarship recipients will be sent instructions for next steps.

June 22, 2015: Deadline to return completed Parent/Guardian and Provider documents to The Newton Partnership, Inc.

Submitting Your Application and Supporting Documents

By mail:
U.S. Postal Service postmarked by deadline date.
The Newton Partnership, Inc.
Child Care Scholarship Fund
246 Dudley Rd
Newton, MA 02459

By hand:
All pages, together in an envelope or paperclip, delivered to the HHS Office by 5 p.m. on deadline date.

The Newton Partnership, Inc.
Child Care Scholarship Fund
c/o Health & Human Services (HHS) Dept. City Hall
1000 Commonwealth Ave
Newton, MA 02459

Come help with one of the biggest fund raisers for Lincoln Eliot, RafflePalooza.  You can help us out by signing up for one (or more) of the sessions below, we are looking for:

6 people to set up on  at 10:00 am – 12:00 pm 
6-8 people for sales for kids portion 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
8 people for sales for adult portion 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm 
8 people for clean up 10:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Email susanneg4@hotmail.com to sign up, make sure you include the times you are able to help.

There is still room available for April Vacation Week. A fun filled week with daily themed activities and 3 field trips are being offered. Field Trip sign ups are available at The Club. $50 for the week or $15 per day. Contact Les at lwhitham@newtonbgc.com for Scholarship information.Click the link below for full details or contact the Club at (617) 630-2066

April Vacation Schedule

Spring Sports Update

Free Baseball Clinics
Starting Friday, May 1st, The John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club will be offering 15 members free baseball clinics.

Click Here For Information

Sign up with mike at mdoran@newtonbgc.com
Free Football Clinics
The Mount Ida College Mustangs Football Players will be running Football Clinics every Tuesday, Starting March 28th, from 2:00-3:30pm for Club Members.

Contact Mike at mdoran@newtonbgc.com for more information
Alumni Basketball
Calling all Club Members, Past and Present!!! Starting April 30th, The John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club will be offering Community Basketball every Thursday, from 6:30-8:30 pm, Through the Newton Community Partnership.
Yoga Classes
The John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club and Michael Massey, Certified Yoga Instructor, Are offering Free Yoga Classes to Club Members.

Sign up with Mike at mdoran@newtonbgc.com
Girls Lacrosse
The John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club and Beaver Country are looking for 10-15 Girls to run a Free Lacrosse Clinic

If you are interested, contact mike at mdoran@newtonbgc.com for more information and to sign up

Headfirst Summer Camps is an award-winning national camp organization located in Brookline, MA.  As the official partner of the Red Sox, they’ve run Red Sox Baseball Camps since 2011 and this summer are bringing multi-sport day camp for camper’s ages 5-13 to the campus of Hellenic College from July 13-August 3^rd.  With over 16 years of experience they know how to run the safest programs, create the most compelling curriculum and hire the best staff. If you want your children to thrive in an engaging environment where they’re able to try new things and make new friends, enroll at headfirstcamps.com before it’s too late.  They are currently running a special PTO discount of 25% which will expire May 1^st 2015.  Please enter the code NPS25 at checkout to get 25% off.

Multi-Sport Camp is for young campers of all ability and experience levels who are interested in engaging and exploring a variety of sports, rather than focusing on one in particular. The Multi-Sport program is built on Headfirst’s approach of “effort over results”, and on foundational team skills of leadership, sportsmanship and collaboration.  Each morning, the staff arrives at camp with one goal: to create the Best Day Ever. Every Day.

Click here to watch the camp video or visit our website at www.headfirstcamps.com and learn more about Headfirst Multi-Sport Camp at Hellenic College.  Have questions or want to talk to a team member? Contact them anytime at 617-449-4972 or info@headfirstcamps.com. 

Join in Lincoln-Eliot’s 6^th Newton Serves and help spruce up Lincoln-Eliot’s playground and exterior.  We will be spreading mulch, raking, preparing our school garden as well as other needed outdoor maintenance.  Adult workers are needed, as well as kids ready to work with their parents! 

We need 50 volunteers.  Please register before April 23 to make sure you can our project “Lincoln Eliot Elementary School” as well as receive important information!  Everyone must complete and submit a release form before going to the project site.

REGISTER ONLINE at:  http://www.newtoncommunitypride.org/NewtonSERVES-volunteer.php

For more information, contact arpollack2@yahoo.com or noraziz@gmail.com

RECESS
It is wonderful that the weather is getting warmer with the beginning of spring. It also means that the snow is melting. PLEASE CONTINUE TO SEND IN BOOTS WITH YOUR CHILD FOR RECESS DUE TO THE PUDDLES AND WET PLAYGROUND.

Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 families may want to send an extra pair of sox and pants to school in case your child gets wet. It is important that the children get to go outside for some fresh air and activity. If we wait for the earth to dry out, I am afraid we will be inside until June.  THANK YOU!

PARCC TESTING CONTINUES THIS WEEK
This week students in grades 3, 4, & 5 will begin the MATH PARCC Assessment. There are two sections of math for each grade level. Students will maintain their regular schedule around the test. Lunch/recess times will remain the same. All classes will attend special subjects (PE, music, library, and art).

GR. K, 1, & 2 PARENTS SAVE THE DATE: Our K, 1 & 2 Spring Concert is on Thurs. April 16^th from 9:00-10:00 in the Gym.
Due to all the snow days, our Music Teacher, Ms. Nelson pushed back the date of the concert to give the students more time to learn in Music Class. This is always a wonderful “Info-formance” in which our youngest students share what they learn in music class.

GRADE 5 CAMP TRIP INFORMATION NIGHT APRIL 15^TH
Every year our fifth graders go on an incredible 2 night camp experience filled with character and team building activities before they go off to Middle School. Our fifth grade parents fundraise all year to make this trip happen. Join us on Wednesday, APRIL 15^th from 6:00-7:00 to learn about the trip and ask questions. This night is open to ALL Lincoln-Eliot families.

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!
Looking for an easier way to stay connected?

Click the link to our LEPTO Facebook Page and “Like us” to receive new article alerts on your Facebook page.

CLASSROOM NEWS…

NEWTON SERVES
Newton Serves is a community service day across the city. Mark SUNDAY, APRIL 26^TH (9:00-12:00) on you calendar and come to Lincoln-Eliot to help us spruce up our grounds and the playground to get ready for the spring. More details to follow.

UNDERSTANDING OUR DIFFERENCES PROGRAM
Understanding our Differences, a disabilities awareness curriculum, is delivered to all Newton students in grades 3-5 by parent volunteers.   All Lincoln-Eliot parents, regardless of your child’s grade, are invited to participate in this dynamic program.   In Spring, 2015 we will be delivering the following units:

At least six parents are needed on each of the following dates to help lead activities:
There is a 2 hour time commitment on the day of the unit and 30-60 minutes to train for the unit at your convenience with on-line materials. 

Grade 3 (Blindness):                                   Monday, May 4, 2015     10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Grade 4 (Intellectual Disabilities):            Thursday, May 14, 2015               12:45 – 2:45 p.m.

Grade 5 (Autism Spectrum Disorders):   Friday, April 17, 2015                   12:45 – 2:45 p.m.

This is a wonderful opportunity to engage with our students in the classroom.  If you are interested in participating, please contact the L-E parent coordinators, Debbie Berechman, dberechman@gmail.com and Cathleen Morrison, ccanhc@gmail.com.

COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS

Third Grader, Mark Collins and his family are supporting the Aleppo Shriner’s Children’s Transportation Fund for Shriner’s Hospital.

What is the Pull-Tab Program?
The pull-tab program at Aleppo Shriners in Wilmington, Massachusetts was founded

several years ago and as a way for the public to help raise funds for the humanitarian and life-saving services provided by Shriners Hospitals for Children. In Eastern Massachusetts, tabs are collected by many different organizations and collected at the Shrine Center in Wilmington, Massachusetts. The tabs are redeemed at a recycling center and the proceeds benefit the Aleppo Shriners Children’s Transportation Fund.

What is the Children’s Transportation Fund?
Funds generated in the pull-tab program are used to transport children

and their parent or guardian, free of charge to a Shriners Hospital for Children. Volunteers from local shrine organizations use specialized vans, small buses and automobiles and give freely of countless hours of their time providing transportation to and from doctor’s visits. One very important mode of transportation this fund pays for are the life-saving med-flights transporting children from all over the world to a Shriners Hospital when their life is in the balance. These specialized med-flights cost tens of thousands of dollars, but when a child’s life hangs in the balance, money is no object. Parents of injured children admitted to a Shriners Hospital for Children do not see a single bill for transportation provided thru this fund.

How Can You Help?
You can help by saving aluminum can pull-tabs and bringing them to school. A collection will box is in the office. Together, we can make a big impact! (See the attached flyer for more details.)

http://www.alepposhriners.com/ads/TabCollectionTriFold2013.pdf

DONOR’S CHOOSE:

Mr. Raisner, Grade 2
My Project: Interactive Projector
Total Project Cost: $1945.00
$1629.00 TO GO

Having an interactive projector will allow my students to use this technology as a tool for their learning. The work that’s projected on the board can be moved around and manipulated. For example, when learning about geometry, students will be able to transpose shapes on top of each other. Using an interactive projector is a 21st century skill for students.

Several upper grade classrooms have this technology available to them. Getting them used to it now will help them in the future.

You can support Mr. Raisner’s Project by linking to:

http://www.donorschoose.org/raisner

COMMUNITY NEWS…

NEWTONPAC Program
On Wednesday, April 15 the NewtonPAC will host a session on Mediation with Board of Special Education Appeals Mediator Myrto Flessas.

Have you ever wondered what mediation is about, and what it can accomplish in special education?  The BSEA website says:

Special Education Mediation is a voluntary and confidential dispute resolution process available at no cost through the BSEA. When school personnel and parents disagree about the educational needs of a student with disabilities, either party may request mediation.

In mediation, an impartial mediator helps parents and school staff clarify the issues and underlying concerns, explore interests, discuss options and collaborate to reach mutually satisfactory agreements that address the needs of the student. The mediator does not decide how to resolve the dispute. When the parties resolve all or some of the issues, they work together with the mediator to put their agreement(s) in writing.

What do you need to know in deciding if mediation is a good option for you?  What should you do to be prepared for mediation and get the best possible result?

Myrto Flessas, the BSEA mediator who works with Newton, will be coming to speak to the NewtonPAC to answer these kinds of questions.

The meeting will be on Wednesday, April 15 starting at 7:30 pm., with refreshments and networking starting at 7:15, in room 210 of the Education Center at 100 Walnut Street in Newton.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Eileen Sandberg at Eileen.sandberg.newtonpac@gmail.com.

(For more information, see the flyer in the flyer folder on the L-E website.

SPRING INTO SWING CREATIVE ARTS AND SCIENCE FUNDRAISER
Spring Into Swing Creative Arts and Sciences Fundraiser with Jazz singer Semenya; wine and beer from Newton’s VinoDivino

Tickets: $35 music and open bar!
Semenya and her band are amazing.  Every year one outstanding program is chosen by the Creative Arts and Sciences Committee (CASC) to perform at ALL of the Newton elementary and middle schools.   This year  Semenya McCord’s program highlighting the 400-year history of America’s black community through song was presented to Newton elementary and middle school students.

This special performance gives parents and the community an opportunity to see an example of the quality of performers that Creative Arts and Sciences brings to our schools.  Plus, all the proceeds from the event DIRECTLY benefit ALL our kids.   The proceeds will  support next year’s concert series.

Click here to buy tickets and more information

Stacey Moriarty, Director Creative Arts and Sciences Committee Curriculum Resource Center (CRC)Newton Public Schools
617-559 6152
stacey_moriarty@newton.k12.ma.ushttp://www.newton.k12.ma.us/CASC

We still have spots available in our summer program.  If you are interested in sending your child to us over the summer, please let us know as we are in the process of hiring our staff so they can start planning.  This is dependent on enrollment.  All of our Summer staff  consists of coordinators and teachers who currently work at one of our Plowshares sites.

Sign up for Ploughhshares