Kittredge Elementary School

MCAS testing continues this week as follows:

Grade 5 will begin at 9:30 a.m. after their specialist class. Make-up testing will be done as necessary through May 30th. It is important for your children to be present and on time, get plenty of sleep and have a good breakfast. Please encourage your children to do their best!

There will be NO chess on Friday, May 25th. Chess will resume Friday, June 1st.

After 35 years of service to North Andover Public Schools, Nancy Jukins will be celebrating her retirement! Please join the North Andover Community as we honor Nancy with a reception. Light refreshments will be served. All staff, parents and students are welcome to attend!

Don't forget and mark your calendars now for our next presentation: "Food Allergies: Facts and Fears" with Dr. Paul Hannaway on Wednesday, May 23rd at 7:00 PM at the Atkinson School. Questions? Call Mary Hadjian, RN at +1 978 794 3849 or your school nurse.

Please mark your calendar, Friday June 15th, 9am - 2pm, for our "Brooks Day" field day. A fun filled day of swimming, field activities and a cookout to celebrate 5 wonderful years at Kittredge. All 5th grade parents are welcome to volunteer and enjoy this day with your 5th grader. Contact Karen Zahoruiko at kzeke@comcast.net or +1 978 685 5179, more info to follow.

The North Andover Foundation for Education is looking forward to launching its t-shirt fund-raiser. The t-shirts are white with our crest on the front (left chest), and our local sponsors on the back. Shirts are $10.00 each and 100% of the proceeds go directly to the Foundation. Look for the shirts at upcoming school events. They will also be available soon at BSporty. For more info please visit our website at www.northandoverfoundation.org.

Kindergartners and first graders at Kittredge will learn about expressing themselves thanks to an upcoming program sponsored by the North Andover Schools Enrichment Council. The Acting Out Theatre Company, founded by North Andover resident Linda Schoonmaker and local resident Penny Kohut, will provide an interactive presentation using spring themes, animals, and their habitats. The students will learn about voice projection, listening cues, music, production, and most of all, taking a risk. For more info about this show, contact +1 978 681 1894

Visit our Kittredge website at http://www.kittredge.northandoverpublicschools.com/.

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 Monday at noon.

If you would like to volunteer to help out, donate a baked good or beverages, or submit a thank you for your special educator please either email NorthAndoverPAC@comcast.net or phone Lisa Staff at +1 978 837 3225.

After school practices will be held in the Kittredge all-purpose room starting Monday, May 14th until Friday, June 1st, every day except: May 23rd, May 30th, Friday, May 25th and Monday, May 28th. Practice will be until 4pm, so please be prompt picking up your child. Our hope is that if your child is signed up to be in an act, a host or a DJ, they will come to at least 3 of these practices, so they are looking good by June 7th!!! Be on the lookout for an information sheet for specific dates to come for crew, stage hands, and ushers. Any questions? Call Lisa Gruber (978) 685-2548 or email me at lisagruber1@comcast.net.

Mark your calendars for Thursday, June 7th, The Kittredge 5th Grade Variety Show. This is an annual event for our talented 5th graders to showcase their original acts, songs, dances and comedy. The event will take place for friends and family at NAMS auditorium from 6:00 till 8:30 pm, on June 7th. Join us for a fun-filled night of entertainment, with refreshments available after the show.

The Kids Stop! After School Program is currently accepting registrations for school year 2007 - 2008. Please note that registrations are accepted on a first come, first serve basis. Space is limited! Please call Community Programs at +1 978 794 3080 with any questions.

The PTO is looking for some volunteers to help us begin our new school year in September. The coordinator for Sunshine Math, chairperson for Family Fun Day, Thanksgiving Food Drive Co-Chair, Adopt-a-Family Holiday Drive Co-Chair and a School Council position are all open for next year. Without the continued help and efforts of our volunteers, these programs would not be able to run. Please consider joining in. Contact Lisa Riedel +1 978 687 1363 or Christine Karelas +1 978 794 2191.

Come enjoy guided hikes. In addition there will be kids' activities at Weir Hill (Stevens Street entrance) including a timed obstacle course, bandana craft, letterboxing workshop, and nature sketching. For more information contact Evy Greene, evycrafter@comcast.net.

At this time of the year, it is important to check your child for ticks. Should you find a tick on your child's skin, it should be removed by grasping it close to the surface of skin with tweezers and pulling it straight out without twisting. If you are unable to remove the tick completely or the site becomes increasingly reddened, inflamed or any drainage occurs, you should contact your child's physician.

Many of the ticks found in this area are the common wood tick, which is the type typically found on dogs. Lyme disease is transmitted not by wood ticks, but by deer ticks, which are much smaller in size. Deer ticks start at the size of a pinhead, and never grow as much as 1/8 of an inch even when fully engorged. Wood ticks, on the other hand, are much more visible. If you are not sure what type of tick you are dealing with, save it and bring it to your child's doctor to evaluate. Should you determine that there is a possibility of a tick you find being a deer tick based on it's size, watch for a rash spreading out from the site of the bite and/or any flu-like symptoms in the next few weeks. And notify your doctor should either of these occur.

Be sure to check your child carefully each day for the presence of ticks, including the scalp, behind, and in the ears, and other areas that may be hard to visualize. If possible, wear long pants and sleeves when walking in wooded areas, and check your outdoor pets as well. Please feel free to call the health office at +1 978 794 3849 if you have any questions. Mary Hadjian, R.N.

Smolak Farms has just expanded its Nature & Craft Program for the summer. Now kids ages 4-6 can enjoy the Nature Program from 9am-10:30 and the Craft Program from 10:30am-12:00pm. Space is limited. Please contact the farm for more details or to sign up for this program. Smolak Farms in North Andover, MA +1 978 687 4029 www.smolakfarms.com

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