Kittredge Elementary School

Dear Kittredge families,

Last week we published an article in the Newslink called "Tame the Teasing". I have received a few phone calls from parents thanking me for the article because it prompted them to ask their children about incidents of teasing in school of which the children may have been aware. The good news is that several incidents of "bullying" have been reported this week. The bad news is that several incidents of "bullying" have been reported this week.

Our school rules are "Be Kind, Work Hard, Be Safe." The statement that students hear very often from me is that our school must always be a safe place where all children can learn. If you have particular concerns about your child either being bullied or being a bully, please call the school and bring your concerns to our attention. You may wish to visit on-line resources such as www.bullying.org or www.no-bully.org.

Finally, I will publish a few pieces about bullying in the Newslink over the next few weeks. Together we will ensure that the Kittredge School is a safe environment where all children can learn.

Sincerely,
Nancy Jukins

Bullying is when a person or group tries to hurt or control another person. There are lots of different kinds of bullying, and they all hurt. Sometimes bullying means hitting, kicking, pushing, shoving, or making someone do something they don't want to do. Sometimes bullying is using mean words or threats, calling someone names, or saying bad things behind their back. Bullying can even mean making someone feel unsafe or scared, leaving them out of games, or making them feel they're not important. (taken from www.bullying.org)

Recognition ads are a great way for you to send a personalized message to your child, friend or teacher in the Memory Book. For $5.00 you can place a personalized message in the Memory Book. Your message will fill approximately the space of an address label. Look for the order forms in your backpack this week!

I am looking for any pictures taken in the Kindergarten and 2nd grade classes. They can be either print or digital pictures. Just send them via backpack Mackenzie Keough 2A or email me at mackeough@netzero.com. Remember these pictures will not be returned. Thank you!

Parents: this is the last chance to order this year's Memory Book for $19.00. You have until February 10th to place your order. DON'T BE LEFT OUT. WE ORDER ONLY THE AMOUNT THAT WE GET PAID FOR, IF YOU WANT A MEMORY BOOK ORDER NOW!

I'm looking for one parent volunteer from each class to help coordinate the KidsArt Fundraiser. If you are interested and would like more details about what's involved, please contact Ginay Pinzer +1 978 685 3062 or gpinzer@comcast.net.

Watch for more info on our exciting new fundraiser. The students can get sponsored for doing fun worksheets around February vacation. It's a fun, easy program that can make great money for the kids!

Ticket sales will be held on January 14th and 21st from 9:00am til 1:00pm at the North Andover High School in the hallway outside of the cafeteria. Tickets are $25.00 per couple with extra child tickets available for $5.00 each. Cash or checks payable to Thomson PTO will be accepted. Children MUST attend their age appropriate dance.

The Winter Jubilee Dance for grades 4 and 5 will be held on January 28th. The Valentine Dance for grades 2 and 3 will be held on February 11th.

Questions? Please feel free to contact Jayne Dunham at +1 978 688 7851 or Dawn Crescitelli at +1 978 688 0724.

The North Andover Schools Enrichment Council welcomed the Museum of Science traveling programs to school last week. On Thursday, students in grades K-2 saw, heard and felt the effects of electrical and magnetic forces through a number of demonstrations during the "Observing Electricity and Magnets" program. Experiments revealed to the children that electricity can push and pull on objects just like magnets can, and, because the two forces are so closely linked, we are able to make a magnet using electricity, and vice versa. This exciting performance, sponsored by NASEC, has been funded by a donation from the 2004-2005 Bradstreet Kindergarten PTO.

Mark your calendars for Sunday, March 12th at 4:00p.m. All of North Andover's elementary schools as well as the Middle School will be participating! Flyers will be distributed in near future. Come enjoy a great night of hockey!!

Are you missing a platter/basket from Kids Go Shopping / Snowflake Cafe? If so, please call Christine Karelas at +1 978 794 2191.

All levels - league ages 5 to 16 (birth dates between 5/1/1989 and 4/30/2001) Please bring an original birth certificate, a copy of the birth certificate for the league to keep on file, and a proof of residency (tax bill or utility bill). Registration is also available on-line (for returning players only) at www.eteamz.active.com/NorthAndover.

Classes begin at Kittredge Wednesday, February 1st, 2006. Watch for registration forms being sent home with your child. Registrations are due by January 16th, 2006. Did you miss out on GLOBAL CHILD classes this fall? Contact Regional Coordinator STACIA TAGLIAFERRO at +1 978 447 1862 to find out how you can catch up and join a class starting soon!

The FY-07 Budget cycle has begun and things are looking very grim. In order to maintain the current level of services being provided, the School Department needs an additional $2.9 million dollars over last years budget. It is unlikely that the schools will receive any increase. The next School Committee meeting is scheduled for 6:30pm Tuesday, January 24th at the High School Lecture Hall. We encourage all those interested or concerned to attend and become more informed. We are also including the names and numbers of the current School Committee members so that you may contact them if you wish.

Do you work in a large corporation or run your own business? Work in retail or a non-profit? Do you fix computers or cars? Do you work at a day care center or are you a college professor? Do you have many years of educational training or all on-the-job training? We are seeking parents and community members in all occupations to share their professional experiences with students at the North Andover High School Career Day on Wednesday, March 22nd, 2006.

In order to offer a wide variety of sessions for students to choose from, we are looking for 75 - 100 speakers. Volunteer speakers can choose from one of the following three session times: 8:20 am to 9:20 am, 9:25 am to 10:25 am, or 11:55 am to 12:55 pm. Some sessions will have more than one speaker from related fields. Discussion topics will include educational and skill requirements, job responsibilities, working conditions, and future growth in the field.

Please consider joining us to help make Career Day a great success. If you are interested in participating, please contact the Career Day Committee at picc@northandover.k12.ma.us or Pam Mesquita, NAHS Career Counselor at +1 978 794 8051l mesquitap@northandover.k12.ma.us by Tuesday, January 31st, 2006.

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.

You may register for the Volleyball Program and/or the April Vacation Camp on 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.

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