Kittredge Elementary School

Dear Families,

Now that fall has officially arrived with crisp, chilly mornings, please be sure your child is dressed appropriately with warm outerwear. There have been many children huddling together on the playground in the morning without sweaters or jackets. With morning temperatures in the 40°s and 50°s, warm outerwear is essential. Also, please remember to label your child's clothing so we can return it to him or her if it is misplaced. I understand some students are concerned that they are being asked to sit quietly in the gym while waiting for the bus. The noise level with over 100 students talking in such a small space has unfortunately warranted asking them to sit quietly. I believe the greater concern is that they are waiting up to 25 minutes for the buses to arrive. We believe this is unacceptable and are working with Mr. Szymanski to rectify this matter. We hope to have the buses arrive immediately at dismissal time thus eliminating the long wait and making the quiet sitting less problematic. I will keep you informed of the progress of resolving this issue. Thank you for your cooperation and support of these matters. Working together we will be better able to maintain a safe and healthy environment for all of our children!

Sincerely, Nancy Jukins

I still need 5th grade parents to help out with the Adopt-a-Family program. Please call Beth Carlson at +1 978 557 5633 if you are interested in helping with this community program.

The North Andover Parent Advisory Council for Children with Special Needs will host its monthly meeting on Thursday, October 7, at 7pm in the High School Library. This month's topic is Third Grade MCAS testing for children on an IEP. Betty McGinnity, Coordinator of Information Services for the Perkins School for the Blind will present an overview of MCAS testing for children on IEPs, with a focus on the 3rd Grade MCAS.

Don't miss out, supplies are limited. Last year Kittredge published a school cookbook. The book is a collection of over 200 favorite Kittredge family recipes. Allison Macmillan's Pork Loin w/Apples, Laura Biermann's Linguine w/Tomatoes, Basil & Cream & Angela Jennings' Almond Toffee Butter Crunch are just a few of the wonderful recipes you will find. The cost of the book is $5.00. To order, please contact Lynda Roberts at +1 978 683 9874.

If you know of anyone with a local business that you think might donate something for that night please let me know. We are looking for food, paper goods and of course money donations are accepted. Contact Heidi Chaff at +1 978 794 2595 or s-hchaff@comcast.net.

A HUGE thank you to Lisa LaFave (mom of 2nd grader Troy )for bringing home 22 laser printer cartridges for our recycling program from Medical Healthcare Solutions in Andover and for her co-workers for remembering to save them for her. Another thank you to Champion Factory on Chickering Road for donating their collection box that was filled with ink jet printer cartridges. Remember to ask family and friends to save their old phones and printer cartridges for this school program.

Visit our Kittredge website at http://www.northandover.k12.ma.us/Kittredge/. Plus if you misplace your Newslink, don't worry -- the current and previous week will be available for your reading pleasure.

Please send via email to kathy.eastwood@comcast.net (please put Newslink in the subject line) or call Kathy Eastwood at +1 978 794 3025 by Friday at noon.

North Andover is now accepting ALL and I mean ALL plastic for curbside pick up; numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or infinity!

Parents, The North Andover School District is making an effort to recycle more paper and containers. There is a blue recycling bin in the lunch room for plastic bottles and aluminum cans. Remind your child to recycle his disposable EMPTY drink container from lunch.

We are still involved in the "Cartridges for Kids" program and any cartridges and cell phones that you collected over the summer can be brought to school for the collection box in the entry. Remember to put all cartridges in ziploc bags to prevent leakage. The first check from last year's accumulation of phones and cartridges is on its way. When the total is in, it will be published in Newslink. Thanks for your participation in this program. Any questions, call Beth Carlson at +1 978 557 5633.

Now that the school year is upon us the Youth Center is again looking for volunteers for the front desk. This includes answering the phones, directing visitors, and general customer service. This is only a two hour commitment and your choice of once or twice a month. Volunteering at the Youth Center is fun and it's a great opportunity to see where your kids spend their time. If you are interested please contact Denise Dionne at +1 978 685 9082 or Jen Neill at +1 978 687 1990.

Hope everyone had a great summer and saved all your BoxTops! Please start bringing them in and depositing them in the BoxTop box in the Front Lobby. Also, by just going online at www.boxtops4education.com and becoming a member of the BoxTops Booster Club, our school will earn 5 Bonus Boxtops. That's $.50 for every new member! Let's all start saving and beat last year's record!

The North Andover Public Schools Department is very pleased to announce that a new district-wide periodic newsletter, the "Knights' News" will be published and distributed through the Eagle-Tribune's Town Crossing Newspaper. Look for the introductory issue to arrive in your local newspaper or mailbox within the next week. Coldwell-Banker Realtors have graciously undertaken the financial sponsorship of this publication. We expect this newsletter to become a primary communication resource for the entire North Andover community!

Visit our Kittredge website at http://www.northandover.k12.ma.us/Kittredge/. Plus if you misplace your Newslink, don't worry -- the current and previous week will be available for your reading pleasure.

Please send via email to kathy.eastwood@comcast.net (please put Newslink in the subject line) or call Kathy Eastwood at +1 978 794 3025 by Friday at noon.

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