New & Upcoming
Mason-Rice Community Zoom Meeting with the Superintendent & School Committee
Tuesday, January 26, 9:00-9:45 am
Join Principal Bultema and Assistant Principal Addleman for a special Mason-Rice forum with the Superintendent and some School Committee members. The Superintendent and School Committee will share district goals for the next year. It is a great opportunity for us to ask questions, meet district leaders, and connect with other Mason-Rice families.
Join Zoom Meeting Link
Meeting ID: 849 0215 5512
Passcode: (see emailed notes)
Wanted: Parent Volunteers!
Baking Captain: Baking enthusiasts to lead one or more of FOUR on-line baking sessions (two sessions for K-2 and two for 3-5). Recipe is up to you, but should be a kid friendly recipe which costs under $10 and that can be adjusted to accommodate gluten-free and nut-free diets.
B-I-N-G-O Captain: Work with seasoned Mason-Rice Bingo Captain to run a night of online excitement for the M-R community. Opportunity to continue in this role in years to come if you are interested.
Volunteer Qualifications and Rewards: Ideal captains should be fun, extremely patient, and technologically literate. Volunteer alone, volunteer together. In exchange for your generosity with your time and talents, captains will get: 1) School-wide gratitude; 2) Personal satisfaction of helping our community stay connected through these strange times. (Anything you see/hear on the other side of the Zoom screen is a total bonus.)
Interested applicants should contact Rebecca Diamondstein.
Trivia Night: RSVP Today
Join Mason-Rice parents for Trivia Night, Thursday February 11th at 7:30pm hosted by PTO Social Committee
Order take out at SushiCo (a Newton Center restaurant owned buy a Mason-Rice family) and grab your favorite drink to join us via Zoom for a fun night!
RSVP here and sign-up for the grade-level team you would like to join.
FORJ Events
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27th, 7pm – 9pm
Discovery Speakers Series hosts Beverly Tatum: Talking to Kids about Race & Racism (Zoom) with 30 minute FORJ Breakout Session after the event. More information and register here to attend. To attend the Breakout Session, RSVP here.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH, 7pm
The Work and Challenges of Being Anti-Racist. Discussion led by Dr. Edward Fergus, author of Solving Disproportionality and Achieving Equity: A Leaders Guide to Using Data to Change Hearts and Minds. Space is limited, please register here. (Login information will be sent the day of the webinar.)
Reminders & Updates
Annual Fund Goal: $5,000 in 6 Days
Over 100 Mason-Rice families have raised more than $15,000 for the Annual Fund. Can you help us reach our goal of $20,000 by January 31st? Donate Here or click the Support Us button above to learn more.
Lunch Bunch: All Grades Meeting This Week
Lunch Bunch is an informal time for DLA and Hybrid students to socialize and chat. Each Lunch Bunch starts with a GoNoodle activity; kids will learn how to draw something fun. Lunch Bunch is optional (no sign up required). Please see emailed PTO Notes for links and info.
* If you didn’t receive the invitation to these events, email Monica so she can report the issue to NPS’s IT team.
Sign Up: K-2 Musical Morning
Musical morning is fun way for kids to showcase their musical talent! K-2 Musical Morning spots are still open. Sign up here.
(All grades 3-5 slots have been filled.)
Free: Breakfast and Lunch for Families
For the 2020-2021 academic year, FREE breakfast and lunch is available for ALL students. There are grab-n-go options for in-person pick-up, or separate pick-up locations at the high schools for virtual learners.
See the City of Newton’s website for updated information on pickup locations and other important updates.
Support the Businesses that Support Us
Give-Back Business of the Week
Mason-Rice’s annual online auction is usually the PTO’s biggest fundraiser. This year, because of the pandemic, we aren’t hosting the auction. Instead, in each week’s Notes, we are spotlighting the amazing businesses that have generously supported our auction year after year with hopes that now, during their time of need, you’ll consider patronizing those who have consistently supported our PTO.
Don’t forget to support the previously-spotlighted businesses! You can find them in the past Notes on our PTO webpage.
Mathnasium of Newton has been helping students understand math in a way that makes sense to them for over a decade. Our specially trained tutors foster a caring, encouraging environment that helps kids thrive and learn, and our individualized method allows us to pinpoint your child’s learning needs, meet them where they are, and take them where they need to go. And now, with our new Mathnasium@Home set-up, you can enjoy all these benefits from the comfort of your own home via our online platform.
To schedule a FREE assessment, visit our website here. Let us be a supplement to your student’s school experience this year so that they have the tools they need to really thrive!
Shop with amazon & help the PTO
As an amazon affiliate member, the PTO is able to earn commissions from your everyday purchases! Before you shop, simply click through the logo above and then go about your shopping as normal. You won’t see anything different, but the PTO will earn commissions from your purchase. (Purchases and purchasers are not reported by amazon to the PTO.)
Stay in touch. Stay informed. Get involved!
