Estabrook Connection
October 29, 2021
Remote Access to Classrooms
- Only students who are quarantining can be marked as present if they are signed onto the class via audio for at least half the day.
- If the classroom teacher is absent on the same day as your child, the substitute teacher will not be able to provide a link for the classroom. Even if the teacher has already supplied the link, the substitute teacher will not have a device available to allow your child to connect to the classroom remotely.
- If the teacher is notified of an absence the day/evening prior to the absence, the teacher will be able to provide a link for the next day. If the absence is not reported until the morning of the absence, the teacher may not have the opportunity to read and respond to your request for a link as they will be busy preparing for students to arrive.
LUNCH
To help address this and make lunch an enjoyable experience for all students, we are asking all families to do the following:
- Preview with your child if you are sending a lunch from home that day.
- All school lunches should be ordered using the Choosi app. Please preview with your child which lunch choice was preordered through Choosi.
If all lunches are ordered using Choosi AND students take the correct selection at lunch, the cafeteria staff will be able to prepare the appropriate number of meals needed for our students.
The Choosi app is available for download at http://www.getchoosi.com/. To order, you simply login using the information below, select your school and grade, then select and customize entrees.
- Username: first name;last name; two digit DAY of birth
- Password: 8-digit DATE of birth in the format MMDDYYYY
- Example username: karensmith25
- Example password: 03252002
* Choosi will prompt you to reset your password after you sign in for the first time.
Please note: Choosi is NOT the payment or transaction history program, but ONLY the preordering application. To access the student lunch balance and transaction history, including payments and purchases, you must set up a MySchoolBucks account.
no hate november
LPS: RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL OBSERVANCES
LPS is working to create a more inclusive recognition of cultural and religious observances in our community. The superintendent and the School Committee are discussing the implications on the school calendar, and one concrete component of this work includes the creation of a webpage listing specific observances in our community that may impact a students' ability to fully engage with their education. This would accompany a new version of the school calendar that would not list specific observances.
Please use this Google Form to submit observances that are important to you and your family that you would like recognized. Each observance should be entered into the Google Form separately.
Outerwear
Parking During Arrival and Dismissal
We are having an ongoing issue with staff being delayed because they cannot find parking in the morning. Staff arrival is staggered based on their start time and many arrive at school when the student arrival process is underway. While you might arrive to drop your child off and it seems that there is ample room in the parking lot, Estabrook staff that arrives shortly thereafter are finding there are no parking spaces remaining. This has a direct impact on our school operation and on students. Some staff have a student-related duty when they arrive and it is important that they are able to park and enter the building promptly. Likewise, staff often have meetings or appointments at other school buildings during the day with a plan to arrive back at Estabrook to assist with the dismissal operation. It is essential that there is parking available so that they can participate in this very busy time of day. It has long been Estabrook policy that parking is reserved for staff or for parents that have appointments or are volunteering at the school.
No cars should be accessing the parking lot by traveling in the wrong direction and parking in the lot is reserved for staff and those with school business.
volunteers
- LPS has established clear steps for submitting proof of vaccination; emailing this information is not an approved method of sharing this information. Please use this link to complete the necessary form and review the approved process for submitting vaccination information to the school. This district process is the only one that can be used to be approved for volunteering.
- Please do not send CORI documents and vaccination documents in the same envelope. This is especially true when the envelope is addressed to someone other than the school nurse. The nurse is the only person who should have access to the vaccination information that is submitted by families.
- If you have submitted your information, but have not heard back from the school please contact Terri Carfagno at tcarfagno@lexingtonma.org or call the office to speak with her directly.
The PTO Corner--Friday, October 29, 2021
To join the PTO click: Estabrook PTO - Home Page
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Directory Cover Contest Winners!
The PTO would like to congratulate the winners of this year’s Directory Cover Contest:
Grand Prize:
- Lulu So, Grade 4
Grade-Level Winners:
- Kindergarten: Manato Hattori
- Grade 1: Zayneb Kamil
- Grade 2: Tabby Simon
- Grade 3: Nora Kingdon
- Grade 5: Esther Kim
Winners will receive a gift certificate to use at this year’s Estabrook book fair, and will have their submissions featured in the print directory!
Chess Club and 5th Grade Math Club Are Back!
We are excited to share that we will be able to hold two student clubs at Estabrook this fall! Students interested in joining the 5th Grade Math Club and the Chess Club can sign up on Monday, November 1st, beginning at 8:00 am. To register your student for either club, log into Membership Toolkit (https://estabrookpto.membershiptoolkit.com) and visit the Store. Additional details about both clubs can be found below.
As always, none of our PTO events and activities can happen without the commitment and dedication of parent volunteers. A huge thank you to Liz Bettencourt, Greg Tully, and Jing Zheng for leading these great programs for our students!
5th Grade Math Club
Calling 5th graders to join Math Club!
The club will meet on Mondays from 8:00 am to 8:45 am in the Estabrook Library beginning Monday, November 8th.
We are a club that aims to foster the enjoyment of doing math. We will learn by solving challenging problems together. A diverse range of problems will be worked on and of course, all levels are welcome.
To add some extra fun this year, we will draw a small prize among the students that participate in each Meet.
Due to space constraints, we need to limit the number of participating students to 20. Enrollment is on a first come, first serve basis. The $10 fee per student is to cover materials and other related expenses throughout the academic year.
To register your child for the Math Club, visit the store in Membership Toolkit, https://estabrookpto.membershiptoolkit.com, and select 5th Grade Math Club.
If you prefer to pay by check, please make out the check to Estabrook PTO and send it to school in your child's yellow folder in a clearly marked envelope. Please do not send cash. For financial assistance needs, please contact the school counselor, Matthew Small, at msmall@lexingtonma.org.
We will kick off the week of November 8. If you have questions, please reach out to the co-chairs greg.tully@gmail.com or liz.s.bettencourt@gmail.com.
Chess Club
We are excited to announce that the chess club is back and in-person! This year, we will be splitting the chess club into two groups (1st-3rd graders and 4th-5th graders). The 2 groups will meet on alternating Friday mornings from 8:00-8:45 am in the Library, beginning on Friday, November 12th (1st-3rd grade group).
The chess club is open to students who have chess experience as well as to newcomers to the game! The hope is to foster a love of chess and for students to enjoy learning the strategy of the game. Participants will be limited to 20 and enrollment is on a first come first serve basis. The $15 fee will cover the purchasing of medals for participants and trophies for the tournament.
We are in need of one additional parent volunteer to co-chair the chess club. Until we get a volunteer, the chess club will not be able to run. There is also the possibility of having 1 co-chair from each group. Please email info@estabrookpto.org if you are able to help out.
Estabrook Playground Meet-Ups
Please come and join your class at the Estabrook Playground. It is a great way to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones!
- *10/30 (Saturday) 2:00pm-3:00pm: Ms. Fenerlis' & Ms. Hoesly's Classes
- *10/30 (Saturday) 4:00pm-5:00pm: Ms. Koch's & Ms. Greco's Classes
- 11/6(Saturday) 2:00pm-3:00pm: Ms. Gordon's & Ms. Laicer's/Colagiovanni's Classes
- 11/6 (Saturday) 4:00pm-5:00pm: All 5th Grade Classes
- 11/7(Sunday) 10:00 am-11:00am: Ms. Moretti's & Ms. Chartrand's Classes
- 11/7 (Sunday) 2:00pm-3:00pm: Ms. Norris' & Ms. Linton's Classes
*Rain Dates for this Saturday’s playdates are Saturday, 11/13, 2-3 pm (Fenerlis/Hoesly) and 4-5 pm (Koch/Greco)
Save The Date: PTO Community Service Event with Cradles 2 Crayons!
Mark your calendars! The PTO will be hosting a community service event with Cradles 2 Crayons on Sunday, November 14th.. Volunteers will be helping to sort donation items. Signups are limited to 50, and will open on Sunday, October 31st!
Parent Volunteer Needed For Tax Filing
We are looking for a parent volunteer with experience in non-profit taxes who would be willing to handle the PTO tax filing this year. If you are interested, please email info@estabrookpto.org for more information.
METCO Family Friends
The Estabrook Family Friends program connects Estabrook students who live in Boston with Estabrook students who live in Lexington for monthly Friday afternoon play dates throughout the year, hosted by the Lexington resident families. We are currently looking for hosts for nine students. To get more information about this fun and enriching program, click HERE. Please email Sara Cuthbertson at saracuthbertson14@gmail.com if you are interested in hosting or have any questions.
2021-2022 Family Friends Dates
- November 19th
- December 17th
- January 21st
- March 18th
- April 9th (Boston Event)*
- May 27th
- June 17th
*Saturday Family Events