PTO Notes 02-21-21

Feb 21, 2021 | News

In This Edition

New & Upcoming

Mason-Rice CAS AuthorFest Dates and Books announced!

The Mason-Rice Creative Arts & Sciences AuthorFest 2021 is almost here! Presentations will take place on Wednesday mornings in March and April via Zoom. Each student will also receive a book by the author they will see, thanks to the generous funding of the PTO. Hybrid students will bring their books home the week of Feb 22; DLA students (except K & 3rd) will receive their books in the next DLA materials pickup. DLA students in K and 3rd can pick up their books from their parent reps (Thanks Lucy Ewins, Liza Harris, and Sara Penn!)
The schedules for presentations are:
  • Kindergarten will be visited by Scott Magoon on Mar 3rd (“Straw,” “Misunderstood Shark,” “Linus, the Little Yellow Pencil”) 
  • 1st graders will be visited by Brian Lies on Apr 7th (“The Rough Patch,” “Bats at the Beach,” “Got to Get to Bear’s”) 
  • 2nd graders will be visited by Vita Murrow on Mar 31th (“Power to the Princess,” “High Five to the Hero,” as well as the wordless books “Zero Local” and “The Whale”)
  • 3rd graders will be visited by Susan Tan on Mar 10th (“Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire,” “Cilla Lee-Jenkins: This Book is a Classic,” “Cilla Lee-Jenkins: The Epic Story”)
  • 4th graders will be visited by Eric Velasquez on Mar 24th (“Grandma’s Records,” “Grandma’s Gift,” “Octopus Stew”)
  • 5th graders will be visited by Jerry Craft on Mar 17th (“New Kid”, “Class Act”). Reminder: 3/17 will be an in-school day for Hybrid cohort A due to the schedule change to accommodate Newton’s special election, but CAS presentation will continue as planned.
We are so excited to welcome these wonderful authors into our virtual classrooms! Stay tuned for exciting AuthorFest-related activates from your room and grade reps in the coming weeks!

The 2021 Book Fair was a great success!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our online book fair. We raised over $2000 for this year’s Creative Arts & Sciences Authorfest! Any books purchased off of Teacher Wish Lists can be placed in the marked bucket outside of Mason-Rice starting on Monday and we’ll distribute the books to the teachers. Thank you for all of your support for our teachers and for the Book Fair! If you have any questions, you can contact Lucy Ewins at this link.
Ms. Becker’s drop in lunch bunches for DLA & Hybrid students are a great way for our students to connect! Note these dates for upcoming lunch bunches:

Grades K & 1
Cohort B:
Monday, March 1st
12:35 – 1:05pm and 1:25 – 1:55pm

Cohort A:
Thursday, February 25
Thursday, March 11th
12:35 – 1:05pm and 1:25 – 1:55pm
Zoom link of K & Grade 1,
Zoom Passcode: [see e-mailed Notes)

Grade 2
Cohort B:
Tuesday, March 2nd
1:25 – 1:55pm

Cohort A:
Friday, February 26th
Friday, March 12th
1:25 – 1:55pm
Zoom link for Grade 2,
Zoom Passcode: [see e-mailed Notes]

Grade 3
Cohort A & B
Monday, February 22th
Friday, March 5th
Monday, March 8th
1:25 – 1:55pm
Zoom link for Grade 3,
Zoom Passcode: [see e-mailed Notes]

Grades 4 & 5
Tuesday, February 23th
Thursday, March 4th
Tuesday, March 9th
1:25 – 1:55pm
Zoom link for Grade 4 & 5,
Zoom Passcode: [see e-mailed Notes]

Lunch bunches are entirely optional, so no need to sign up in advance: just drop in!

Newton Girls Softball Rec League registration is open

Newton Girls Softball Rec League registration is open for girls in kindergarten through 7th grade. We are fully preparing for a Spring season — April 25 through June 13 — and will, of course, be monitoring the latest pandemic-related guidance from the state of Massachusetts.
 
Supportive coaches teach the fundamentals of softball and help develop confidence, determination, and resiliency. There is a place for girls of all ability levels in softball. Even if you or your daughter have not considered sports before, please look at our website.
 
Questions? Contact Rec League Director Jason Margolis.

Girls on the Run Spring Season – Register Now!

Girls on the Run is a program that supports 4th and 5th grade girls to develop social-emotional skills, connect with peers, self-reflect & grow,
while playing games, engaging in discussions, and of course, running!

The spring season begins in late March and ends with a celebratory 5K run on June 5. This season GOTR will follow a hybrid model, meeting virtually on Wednesdays (3:30-4:30pm) and in person, outside Mason-Rice on Fridays (3:30-4:45pm).

Register at the link here; be sure to select Mason-Rice as your location. Registration will be determined by a lottery held on March 1st.

Please direct any questions to Head Coach Marni Allen or Site Liason Emily Discenza.

“Crystal Lake” – A Special Presentation for K-5 students (and families)

Please join the Mason-Rice Green Team and guest speaker, Crystal Lake Conservancy Co-President, Janice Bourque, for an interactive and educational presentation about our beloved lake. The meeting will be on Zoom, 4-5pm on March 11th.

RSVP and join us to learn and ask questions about all things relating to Crystal Lake, including: the history of the lake, how it formed, where it gets its water, animals in/around the lake, pollutants and how to keep it healthy. See blog to learn more about Green Team events.

Reminders & Updates

Kindergarten Registration for 2021-22 School Year

Do you have a incoming kindergartner? Do you know someone who’s going to be in kindergarten at Mason-Rice next year? Registration information is now available. Click here.

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.

T-Shirts Showcase Your School Spirit!

The Mason-Rice Spirit Store is still open and stocked with t-shirts.  We have t-shirts in two styles: navy with the Mason-Rice logo in color on the front or heather blue with the Mason-Rice logo on the back.  T-Shirts are $15 in kids size S, M, L or adult S, M, L. Email Katie Gaines to place an order. All proceeds go to the Mason-Rice Fifth Grade Graduation Fund.

Support the Businesses that Support Us

Give Back Business

Mason-Rice’s annual online auction is usually the PTO’s biggest fundraiser. This year, because of the pandemic, we are not hosting the auction. Instead, in each week’s Notes, we are spotlighting the amazing businesses that have generously supported our auction year after year. We hope that now, during their time of need, you will 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.

Pure Barre Newton

New to barre? Foundations class is the perfect introduction to our Pure Barre technique in a smaller class setting. Pure Barre is for everybody, no matter your fitness level – come try a Free Foundations Intro class on us! Blending movements inspired by dance, yoga, and pilates, our Pure Barre classes are designed to strengthen and tone your muscles to improve balance, flexibility, and core strength.
 
We have a March Challenge coming up – The Barre Stronger Challenge! Beginning March 1, complete 20 classes in 31 days to complete for a prize! We are also offering a $99 unlimited month for any new members who join!
 
For in-studio classes, we practice social distancing – spaces are 6’ apart, partitions divide each spot, masks are required, an air filtration system is in place and we sanitize in between each class! We are also offering daily livestream classes to enjoy from the comfort of your own home! 
 

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 on our website 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.)

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