Kittredge Elementary School

The new playground is finally installed! Many thanks to all those who made it happen, the PTO officers who did all the work researching possible companies and working with the DPW to remove the old equipment, Ralph Matthes and Pam McCarthy who worked with the PTO officers, and a special thank you to the donor who made it possible for the purchase and installation to happen. We look forward to many years of pleasure using it.

Although winter does not officially arrive until December 21st, when standing on the Kittredge playground it sure feels like winter is here! Please note the following: Children do go outside for recess unless it is snowy, rainy, or below 20°. Please make sure your child has appropriate outerwear for winter weather. Mittens, hats and boots should be labeled. A clothespin is a helpful way to keep them from being lost. Children are not allowed to play in the snow without snow pants and waterproof boots. It is advisable to keep an extra pair of shoes, mittens or gloves, and a hat in school.

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 play-ground 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. Also, if you do not see a teacher on duty this means the 8:15 bell has already rung.

Dr. Harutunian, our superintendent of schools, is looking for 5 to 8 parents from each school to be Budget Parents. The primary responsibility of these parents will be to keep the rest of the school parents informed about the budget process as we move forward with the budget. Please call the school office if you are interested in being a Budget Parent, or call Christine Karelas for more information (+1 978 794 2191). The topic will be discussed at the PTO meeting on Thursday morning.

Our third annual shopping event was once again a HUGE success and enjoyed by all. Over two hundred students and family members took part in this event. What a wonderful showing of school community! This event would not have been possible without the help and support of our wonderful Kittredge families. We would like to THANK all that baked, everything was delicious and there was plenty to choose from, all who donated wrapping and tissue paper, and all that volunteered at the event. We would especially like to THANK a few distinguished alumni for whom without we would have been a little short handed in the gift wrapping dept... Thank you to Elizabeth Cox, Irena Klein, Erika Zahoruiko, Marissa Girardi, Ali Herland, and Julia Washburn Happy Holidays!

Order forms for the Kittredge Memory Book went home in backpacks last week. Pre-Order your book before December 16th and save! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Kittredge Memory Book it is a full color 40+ page laminated book highlighting the Kittredge School Year! Don't miss out on the savings.

The PTO would like to say a big THANK YOU to Diane Iannone and Eleanor Cox for all their hard work on Kids Go Shopping! The kids had a great time and got lots of shopping done! Thank you also to all the volunteers who helped make the event so successful! Congratulations to the winners of the Gift Baskets: Jeff Martelli, Keiko Nazzaro, Sue Pulaski, and Elizabeth Nadeau!!

You may register for the Volleyball Program and/or the April Vacation Camp on: Tuesday, December 13th, Atkinson School, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm or Tuesday, January 31st, Atkinson School, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

You may also register for the Spring Camp through Community Programs' Spring Sessions' Excel Programs. Registration for the Spring Camp is limited to the first 30 players to sign up. The registration fee for the NABC program is $60 per player and for the Spring Camp $110 per player. All registration fees must be paid at the time of registration. Please download the registration form from the Handout link and bring to registration.

GIVE BACK, a group of high school volunteers who organize activities and events as a means to "Give Back" to their community, is organizing a non-Perishable Food Drive to benefit Lazarus House. Food items can be delivered to the Joseph N. Herman Youth Center, 33 Johnson Street, Old Center, North Andover, MA on Saturday, December 17th, 2005 from 1:00PM to 4:00 PM. Wish List: powdered drinks (Crystal Light, juice, lemonade); Canned pie filling (cherry, apple, pumpkin); canned pasta (ravioli, spaghetti); dry cereal, canned potatoes/carrots; turkey gravy; peanut butter; cake mix/frosting. Your support is greatly appreciated.

If you didn't make the in-person registration in November, registrations will still be accepted via mail. Please fill out the registration form (downloadable from www.nalax.net), enclose a check or money order made out to NALAX, and mail it to the address on the top of the form. Registrations must be postmarked no later than January 1st, 2006.

The Memory Book Committee is looking for any pictures you want to donate from Family Fun Day, first day of school, and the 2nd graders' trip to Johnson's Cottage. (Please remember no digital images; only actual photos can be used.) If you would like to donate your pictures please send them to Karen Keough via backpack either 2A or 5A. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Karen Keough at Mackeough@netzero.com. Thank you.

A program of the KID foundation. Second Monday of each Month starting December 12th, 2005 from 7-8:30PM at Brooks School in the Dalsemer Room. Contact Casey Quirk for info and directions: caseyquirk@hotmail.com or cell +1 508 265 4648. Refer to www.spdnetwork.org for more information on SPD and the KID foundation.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of those who contributed to our fall solicitation. To those who have not yet responded, we request that you consider making a fully tax-deductible donation before the year-end.

NASEC hosts outstanding performers and educators to enhance our children's education. NASEC meets with teachers and administrators to determine the best programs to support the curriculum. NASEC does not receive any funding from the Town of North Andover or the School Committee. Funding is obtained entirely from your direct donations and contributions from your school PTO or PTAC. Your contribution goes directly toward programs for students. Please consider a tax-deductible gift this year of $20, $50, $100 or even more. We believe in the Arts and Sciences and the benefits they bring to North Andover children; we hope that you do too!

Please help to enhance the arts curriculum in North Andover. Visit our website at www.northandover.k12.ma.us/nasec or contact our fundraising representative, Kristen Hollenbeck, for additional information, at +1 978 886 4342. Contributions, made payable to The North Andover Schools Enrichment Council (NASEC) may be sent to: P.O. Box 91, North Andover, MA 01845.

If you took any pictures at the Thanksgiving Day show that you would like to donate for the year-end memory book, please send them via backpack to Kim Dawley, c/o Megan Dawley - 1A. Photos with small groups of kids are easiest to include in the limited space. Also, if you got a nice shot of all the kids on stage, please send. We need an actual print (not a digital file). Many thanks.

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.

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!

Recently, there have been a few cases of head lice in some of the elementary schools. Fortunately, we have NOT identified any cases in Kittredge School to date. However it is helpful to be alert to the potential for acquiring this pesky problem since students often mix with other children throughout the town for sports, dance and other activities.

Head lice are common among children and they are found in the cleanest of heads. Lice are tiny and often difficult to see as they can blend in with the hair. The eggs, called, nits, are small whitish oval specks that attach to the hair shaft with a glue-like substance. Head lice can be spread from person to person through direct contact.

Be alert to any complaints of intense itching of your child's scalp. It may be helpful to check your child's head for nits. If a problem is noted:

• Do not send your child to school.
• Please notify the school nurse.
• Call your health care provider or see the pharmacist for treatment instructions.
• Arrange for your child to be checked by the school nurse prior to returning to school.
• Review basic hygiene measures with your children - no sharing of combs, brushes, hair ornaments, hats, helmets, sleeping bags, pillows, or other bedding.

Thank you for your cooperation in attempting to prevent this problem. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Health Office at +1 978 794 3849. Mary Hadjian, R.N.

An electronic device found in the front of the school this week. Identify the device and it will be returned. Call +1 978 681 1894.

$Id: newslink-2005-12-12.html,v 1.1 2005/12/12 13:36:25 carlsonj Exp $