Helping Hands
The first Helping Hands of the school year is this Tuesday, October 3rd for the 5th grade class.

Please meet in the cafeteria at 7:50 AM, siblings of fifth graders are also welcome to join. The students will go directly to their classrooms at 8:30.

If you are able to donate supplies, we suggest 1lb. meat; ½ lb. cheese; two loaves of bread, although any donated amount is appreciated. The number of sandwiches delivered each month will depend on donations.  This month, we also need sandwich bags to be donated.

Helping Hands t-shirts are still on sale –the deadline was extended to Wednesday, October 4th. As a fun way of showing school spirit on days our students participate in a Center School helping hands activity, t-shirts are now for sale! All profits from the t-shirt sales will be donated to charity at the end of the school year!

First PTO meeting of the school year!
We hope to see you this Wednesday, October 4th at 7:30 in the community room.

The agenda so far: 
• Budget Briefing
• Post Carnival wrap-up and the need for new Spring fundraising ideas!
• PTO Dues/Annual Giving update- how can we encourage more participation?
• Committee Round up –Family Photo fundraiser, Halloween Hustle, Helping Hands, Holiday Baskets, Beautification Committee, Apparel, Book Fair, Fifth grade yearbook… who’s doing what, and volunteer opportunities

Last Call!
If you want to be included in our digital student directory, please enter your information here http://www.centerschoolpto.com/centerschooldirectory.html by this Wens 10/4.

Longmeadow Elementary Schools iWalk to School Day is this Wednesday!
Join Center students, families, school leaders, and partners around our community
to celebrate the benefits of walking/biking to school on International Walk to School Day.

Children who walk or bike to school, Superintendent O’Shea,
Police Chief John Stankiewicz, Town Manager Stephen Crane, and members
of your Center School family will meet on the corner of Hopkins and
Longmeadow Street at 8:15 am. Let’s create the longest “walking school bus” in Ma!
If you walk a different route to Center , we’ll meet you in front of the
school with a special acknowledgement for each participant!
Visit http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/ for additional information about the event and for safety ideas for walkers and bikers! Rain date is October 6th.​

Longmeadow Public Safety Day
Longmeadow Fire Chief John Dearborn invites all residents to join us at Longmeadow Public Safety Day at the fire and police stations on Williams Street, from 10:00 to 2:00 p.m. On Saturday, October 14, 2017. 

This years fire safety theme is EVERY SECOND COUNTS PLAN 2 WAYS OUT. This event will provide an opportunity to get to know the firefighters and police officers protecting you and your community. Join Longmeadow firefighters for an auto extrication demonstration, information on fire safety, tours of the fire trucks, spraying a real fire hose. Join Longmeadow police officers for a K9 unit demonstration, tours of police cars and much more. This event is perfect for the whole family! We hope to see you there!
Halloween Hustle
The beloved Halloween Hustle is coming up on October 28th! Registration is now open, be sure to sign up by 10/14 to be guaranteed a t-shirt! http://www.halloweenhustlecenterschool.com/

2nd Annual Spooktacular
October 28th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The LHS Key Club has been hard at work planning our second annual Halloween experience for children 12 and under in Longmeadow.  COME ENJOY SNACKS, GAMES AND TRICK-OR-TREATING! There will be 22 DECORATED DOORS FOR TRICK-OR-TREATING. PLENTY OF DECORATIONS. WHEN FINISHED THERE WILL BE FOOD AND GAMES! This is a FREE event, however we will be collecting monetary DONATIONS at the door to raise money for Camp Sunshine. Camp Sunshine is a year-round camp for children in various stages of life threatening illnesses and their families.

It finally feels like sweat shirt weather…
Check our our center school and longmeadow sweatshirts (along with a bunch of other great stuff) at our online school store: http://www.centerschoolpto.com/store.html

Friday, 9/8, is our first all school assembly.  Please wear red to school to show your cardinal pride!  

There will be a meeting for those interested in volunteering to help with this year's Halloween Hustle 5K on Tuesday, September 12 after school (3 p.m.) on the playground by the picnic table.

The 14th annual Halloween Hustle 5K will be held on Saturday, October 28. It is a fun event that promotes community and fitness and raises funds for the Center School PTO.

​This year, we will have a committee of 5th graders helping us with the race, so if you have a 5th grader who is interested, they are also welcome to attend the meeting.

If you (or your 5th grader) is interested in volunteering, but are unable to attend, please contact Katie Wartman at lynkwartman@gmail.com or run.halloweenhustle@gmail.com

​Halloween Hustle 2017 co-chairs
Katie Wartman, Anne-Marie Tonsing, Katie Sullivan

 Calling all Kindergarten parents!
All Kindergarten parents are invited to a meet and greet! After you drop off your little ones off for their first day, please join us in the community room for coffee and muffins. Younger siblings welcome!
Any questions, contact Karen Desrosiers (karendesrosiers@comcast.net)

The Carnival is coming....
The Center School Carnival is right around the corner on 9/15. We are in need of additional cashiers. Tickets selling begins @4:15 and ending @6:15. You can sign up for a 1/2 hour, 1 hr, or 2 hr slot. Any and all help is appreciated!!! Email or text carnival chair Lisa Foster at 617-429-3054, foster_L@icloud.com

PTO reimbursement
PTO treasurer, Keri Fazio, wants you to know of a resource available to you -any parent or teacher that needs to be reimbursed for an expense related to the PTO can find the reimbursement form right on the PTO website (http://www.centerschoolpto.com/resources.html). Just fill it out and return it to her by email (keriapril@comcast.net).   
 
We need your bottle caps
 The art room is collecting plastic bottle caps, all colors and sizes, to be used by all grades on their first projects of the year.  Please make sure all contributions are rinsed and clean.  There will be a box for cap contributions in the office as well as outside the art room. Thanks in advance for your donations! 
 
Student Information 
Have you entered your information into the 2017-2018 student directory?
This year our student directory will be digital! Please enter your information here: http://www.centerschoolpto.com/centerschooldirectory.html 
  
Get involved!
Want to join the PTO? Together we can work to support the wonderful programs and rich learning environment we have here at Center School. Please complete your membership & payment online: http://www.centerschoolpto.com/get-involved.html 

Volunteers needed today! Yes, today!
Can you help the beautification committee get our school looking it's best before back to school? We are getting together today, Monday (8/28) at 1:00p.m..

DPW has done an amazing job getting the front and Longfellow sides of the school looking good. Amie Tracy, Lynn Pantuosco-Hensch, and Gina Pantuosco were there today with their families cleaning the alley way outside the 3rd grade classrooms- thank you so much!


There is still a fair amount of weeding and sprucing up needed in the back and South sides (where the entrance to the teachers lot is) of the school.


Please come and help if you can for as long as you can! We imagine we will be there until around 4.


We will be focusing on weeding so please bring anything that may help tackle the job-small shovels, small pruners/shears, and yard waste bags. New gardeners and kids welcome! Weather looks great...

 


2017-2018 Arrival and dismissal details
Principal Hutton shared some information about arriving on the first day of school and beyond.

On the first Day of school: We'll see everyone on the playground at 8:30 AM. The bell will toll to signal the start of our new year!!  Teachers will be on the playground; look for signs with your child's teacher's name and you'll know where your child should line up.

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures after Day One:
Arrival: 8:30 AM We do not have supervision before 8:30 AM, so while we love our enthusiastic early birds, please time arrival as close to 8:30 as possible.

* Grades 2, 3, 4: Enter through the main doors
* Grades K,1,5: Enter through esplanade doors -gymnasium side.
* 5th grade safeties will walk kinder and first grade students to their classrooms.

All bikers park bikes on the bike racks on the playground. Please do not park bikes near the entrance gate. For our new families, locks are not needed.

Bikers walk the Longfellow sidewalk to the front of the school and enter through appropriate entrances. Students should never travel to the back stairwell to enter the building in the morning. We do not have supervision in this area and we're appreciative of families who do not drop off/pick-up in an area that is not our designated drop off/pick-up.

Students should not travel the driveway on the side of the gymnasium. This area poses a serious safety issue as cars enter here for the parking lot behind the school; there's blind spots and the sidewalk does not wrap around the driveway.

Dismissal: 2:45
* Grades 2, 4: Exit main entrance
* Grade 3: exit Longfellow Street door
* Grade K, 1, 5: esplanade doors gymnasium side.

Teachers will escort their classes to the carline and to the playground.

Kinder and grade 1 families: If you meet your child on the esplanade, please stand near the railings away from doorways. We appreciate when you do not block the exit doors and/or the walkway to the esplanade as teachers have many students to walk in lines to appropriate spots.

For her full letter, see the Center School website here: https://sites.google.com/longmeadow.k12.ma.us/new-ctr


Bottle Cap collection for the art room!
The art room is collecting plastic bottle caps, all colors and sizes, to use with all grades on our first project of the year.  (Just make sure they are rinsed and clean).

There will be a box for cap contributions in the office as well as outside the art room.   
 
Thanks in advance for your donations!
Margaret Goldman
Center School Art
http://centerschoolart.blogspot.com/2017/08/bottle-cap-collection.html 

We need your information: School Directory
This year our student directory is going Digital!  
The 2017-2018 directory will be a great resource for initiating playdates, gathering classmates or getting after school homework help. Please enter your information here: http://www.centerschoolpto.com/centerschooldirectory.html.  After we have all students information, you will be able to reference it on our password protected directory. Please input your information by October 1.
 
2017 Fall Carnival: volunteers needed!
The Center School Carnival created and run by our very own fifth graders is on September 15th. It's a a fun event to celebrate the start of the new school year and experience Center School Spirit at it's best.

We need volunteers to make this fun event a great success! !. Parents and alumni are invited to help: we need cashiers, grillers, assistance with the raffle tables and supervision of the bounce houses. Can you help? Call or text carnival chairs: Lisa Foster (Foster_l@icloud.com) 617-429-3054 or Jen Alvord (jalvord567@gmail.com) 413-244-5219

Kindergarten "Principal's Tour"
Principal Hutton invites you and your child(ren) to join her this Wednesday, August 23rd at 9:00 am for an informal and fun "Principal's Tour".  

Meet in front of the school, tour the kinder classrooms, the library, and the cafeteria. The meeting will end with a "kinder playdate" on the playground where our PTO will provide a popsicle treat for the children. We hope this time will provide an opportunity for your child to ease any anxiousness he/she might be experiencing as well as meet new friends! The PTO will have Center school apparel on display and available for purchase.
 
New Families Tour
Principal Hutton would like to invite any new families to Center school to come for a tour.  Meet in main office at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 23rd.

School Directory
This year our student directory is going Digital!  
The 2017-2018 directory will be a great resource for initiating playdates, gathering classmates or getting after school homework help. Please enter your information here: http://www.centerschoolpto.com/centerschooldirectory.html.  After we have all students information, you will be able to reference it on our password protected directory. Please input your information by October 1.
 
2017 Fall Carnival: volunteers needed!
The Center School Carnival created and run by our very own fifth graders is on September 15th. It's a a fun event to celebrate the start of the new school year and experience Center School Spirit at it's best.

We need volunteers to make this fun event a great success! !. Parents and alumni are invited to help: we need cashiers, grillers, assistance with the raffle tables and supervision of the bounce houses. Can you help? Call or text carnival chairs: Lisa Foster (Foster_l@icloud.com) 617-429-3054 or Jen Alvord (jalvord567@gmail.com) 413-244-5219      

Volunteer coaches needed -Girls on the run!  
Girls on the Run (GOTR) is a unique 10 week program. Coaches lead small teams through our research-based curricula which includes dynamic discussions, activities and running games. Over the course of the ten-week program, girls in 3rd-5th grade develop essential skills to help them navigate their worlds and establish a lifetime appreciation for health and fitness. Each season culminates with a Girls on the Run 5K event. This celebratory, non-competitive event provides girls with a sense of accomplishment and instills the value of goal setting at a young age.

This is an amazing program we would love to once again offer our Center School students, but we are in need volunteer coaches. You do not have to be a runner to coach!!  More importantly, you should feel comfortable leading and talking with girls in grades 3-5.  The training session for volunteers is coming up on 8/26 do please don't hesitate to be in touch if you are interested.

For more information please contact Molly Hoyt, GOTR Program Director, molly.hoyt@girlsontherun.org, (413) 320-1845.
Parent Volunteer: Walking School Bus
Officer Carl Mazzaferro is working with Mrs. Hutton to enhance the safety for our students in and around the school.  He will come to speak with our 5th grade safety students and speak to all the students about Halloween safety in October.

Officer Mazzaferro is looking for one or more parent volunteers to assist him with creating "walking school busses" If you walk your child to school each day or if you'd be interested in the idea, please contact Carl Mazzaferro (cmazzaferro@longmeadow.org) or Mrs. Hutton for more details.

Special Edition - Thursday, August 10 2017

Hope you are all enjoying your last few weeks of summer!  Here is a short and sweet newsletter to help you start to prepare for heading back to school, and the busy few weeks afterwards.

Important upcoming dates
August 18th: Visit Power School Parent Portal for teacher assignment

August 23rd:
Incoming  Kindergarteners visit with Principal Hutton 9:00 a.m.


New Families and Students Visit with Principal Hutton 1:00 p.m.


August 31st: First Day of School for grades 1-12

September 4th : Labor Day, No School

September 5th: First Day Kindergarten

September 5th: Meet and Greet for K parents, right after drop off in the community room
September 15th: Center School Fall Carnival on the Green

September 28th: Open House 6:00 pm 
 
Supply list for Grades 1-5 
The supply list for grades 1-5 are posted on the Center School website. Here's the link: http://ctr.longmeadow.k12.ma.us/announcements/supplylists
 
PTO Meetings 
The PTO would like more members of our community to be able to attend meetings next school year -so we wanted to ask you when is the best time to meet? Will you take our super quick poll to let us know? https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc6t9TD7Esmgf7WXlozlsKiBnz8o7TmZWku4USyEKKtELpIQw/viewform?usp=sf_link


You can join the PTO right on our website: http://www.centerschoolpto.com/get-involved.html