Kittredge Elementary School

The October Book Fair will be held in the cafeteria this year. Therefore, the students will eat their lunches in their classrooms on Thursday, October 27th. Lunches may still be purchased, however all of the lunches offered on Thursday, October 27th will be bagged lunches.

In accordance with Section 2 of Chapter 385 M.G.L. c. 71, § 38R, the North Andover School Department requires all volunteers to have a CORI (criminal offender record information) check completed before volunteering in our schools. If you anticipate volunteering in any capacity during the school year we request that you begin the process now as it may take a couple of weeks for the CORI check to be completed. You may obtain the required form from Ms. McCarthy at the school office. Please remember that although this may be a minor inconvenience, it is in the best interest and ensures the safety of our children. CORI checks need to be resubmitted every 3 years.

The students line up for Opening Exercises when the first bell rings at 8:13 a.m. If you are dropping your child off close to bell time and you do not see children playing on the playground as you drive up, please stop at the playground to drop your child off, instead of driving down to the end of the building. This will allow your child to get in line for Opening Exercises.

Vision and hearing screening is conducted annually for all students in the elementary schools. If your child has difficulty passing the screening, you will receive a referral in the mail and you will be asked to schedule an appointment with your pediatrician or specialist as soon as possible for a more comprehensive examination. The referral needs to be completed and signed by the healthcare provider and returned to the attention of the school nurse. If a child has a cold or allergies, he or she may have difficulty passing the hearing exam because of fluid in the inner ear and will be retested in a few weeks before a referral is made. I am planning to start screening this week beginning with the 3rd and 4th grades. Children who wear glasses will be tested with glasses on. Please feel free to contact me at +1 978 794 3849 if you have any questions or concerns about the screening.

Come and enjoy a donut or a muffin with the Kittredge community. If you have any questions please call Dee O'Leary, +1 978 681 6242 or Christine Melvin at +1 978 688 7494.

Thanks to the generous donation of Michael Smolak at Smolak Farms each Kittredge student will be receiving a pumpkin just in time for Halloween. The pumpkins will be handed out by grade each day this week. Thank you to the Hollenbeck family for picking the pumpkins and cleaning them!!!!

Sunshine Math is now being offered at Kittredge School. Sunshine Math is a take-home supplementary math program. Registration is going on now. Additional registration forms are available in the lobby. If you have any questions, please call Christine Karelas at +1 978 794 2191.

Registration is going on now for Chess Club. The club will meet on Fridays at 7:30am in the cafeteria beginning on Friday, December 2nd. This program is for all skill levels. Additional registration forms are available in the lobby. If you have any questions, please call Christine Karelas at +1 978 794 2191.

The North Andover PAC For Children With Special Needs is hosting a "parents only" open discussion on Thursday, November 3rd at 7:00pm at the North Andover High School Library. This is our annual sharing meeting where our parents discuss what's worked for them, resources, ideas, etc. Please feel free to come and ask questions or share your experiences and or concerns with others from our community with some of the same issues.

This week first and second grade students will learn and laugh with Garry Krinsky as he presents "Toying With Science." The North Andover Schools Enrichment Council welcomes this popular program back to the elementary schools. The show combines circus skills, mime, original music, and audience involvement in the exploration of the scientific principles of gravity, leverage, fulcrums, and simple machines. Garry will bring several science-based toys to life with motion, music, humor and insight. Some students will join him on stage to participate with juggling or balancing activities with Garry's playful guidance. They will watch as he finds his center of gravity while balancing multiple ladders, with a giant beach umbrella on his chin!

Costume Parade 2pm sharp! Children must be accompanied by an adult. Join us for the following tricks & treats:

Pumpkin Cake Walk - Harry Potter Room - Games - Winelda the Witch - Prizes - Fortune Telling - "Ghouls Night Out" by Acting Out - Food & even wandering ghouls and goblins! Tickets are available until October 26th at Star Market - $6 at the door on October 29th: $8 ($15 for 2 children; $20 for 3 children) No charge for adults - for more info call +1 978 688 0555. To donate baked treats that do not need refrigeration (ie cakes, brownies, cookies) for the Pumpkin Cake Walk, call +1 978 683 1439 and ask for Maggie. All items may be brought Friday, 10/28, 7pm-9pm to the High School Cafeteria.

The Kittredge Kids are collecting donations to help with the relief effort for Hurricane Katrina. In each of the classrooms there is a "Kids for Katrina" bucket that the children can put their donations in. So if you have spare change or that box full of pennies - send them in! There is a "Kids for Katrina" thermometer in the lobby that we are hoping to fill all the way to the top!

Open to all students in grades 3-8. Mail in registration form available on our website at www.eteamz.active.com/NABC or walk in registration. For more info contact Debbi Raffalli at +1 978 687 3174.

The Learn to Skate Program is now accepting applications for the coming 2005-2006 season. Please visit our new website for information and forms. www.nafigureskating.org. Our season starts Saturday, November 5th, 2005.

The PTO would like to thank everyone who participated in this fundraiser. Due to all you hard work and effort, this was an OVERWHELMING SUCCESS!! We exceeded all expectations. Our final tally and profit will be figured out soon and we will pass this on to you. We are hoping for delivery in 3-4 weeks. Thanks again!!

Registration for the North Andover Soccer Association (NASA) 2006 spring season has initiated using the popular on-line registration system found on our website www.nasoccer.com. Returning or new members may register for the spring season via this link or may register at the walk-in registration on Wednesday, October 26th, 2005, at the North Andover Middle School from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. After November 4th, NASA will only be accepting late registrations (with late fee for returning families) until team rosters are filled. Please do not wait until the last minute to register, as NASA has needed to turn away many last minute interested players in the past two seasons.

Current NASA information may be found on the NASA website or contact registrar@nasoccer.com for questions.

Visit our Kittredge website at http://www.northandover.k12.ma.us/Kittredge/.

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.

Send in Your Box Tops!

The Kittredge School Student Directory has been released. Please send any changes or corrections to Kathyeastwood@comcast.net and I will publish them in Newslink.

The Youth Center will be open to all North Andover 4th and 5th grade students from 1 pm - 4 pm, Saturdays, for a fee of $2. See you there!

The PTO needs more volunteers to help with the many fun projects happening at Kittredge this year. The poster for sign-ups is located on the PTO bulletin board in the school lobby. Most of the jobs only require volunteering one time for one or two hours. Many hands make light work! Please volunteer today!

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