Brackett PTO

The 2023-2024 School Year has been off to a great start! We are so grateful for this community and for everyone who has volunteered their time and ideas to the PTO. We're excited for the upcoming year and to bring some new and fun events to Brackett.

We wish everyone a joyful and restful break!

Save the date for the next quarterly community PTO Meeting on Thursday, January 18th! On the agenda is a Brackett playground update and discussion with Dr. Vice, as well as finalizing the updated By-Laws, discussing a school-wide directory, and more.

We'll also set aside some time to socialize and have some pizza. Can’t come in person? Meeting notes will be posted and publicly available for the whole community if you are not able to attend.

Please RSVP here so we can plan accordingly for food. Suggested donation of $2 per slice of pizza. If childcare is a concern, please reach out to info@brackettpto.org for more information.

At the last PTO meeting, we discussed updating the PTO By-Laws. The current By-Laws were last revised about 20 years ago, so we've put together a draft that brings the By-Laws up to date and in line with other Arlington PTOs. The draft can be found here. Please submit any feedback or comments via this form by January 12th. We'll plan on finalizing the By-Laws at the PTO meeting in January and will send out a way to vote electronically.

Thank you to everyone who generously dated on Giving Tuesday - over $1,100 was raised!

We're still working towards our Annual Appeal goal of $20,000 and if you feel that you're able to donate, every dollar helps.

Donate Today:

Venmo (@BrackettPTO) or Paypal (Brackett Elementary School PTO)

• Read-a-thon - we're looking for a few people help with the Read-a-thon and Literacy Week, taking place the week of 02/26. Please reach out to info@brackettpto.org for more information or if you're interested in volunteering.

• Library Volunteering - Come help Ms. Alfonso with shelving, circulation and more! Class times and sign ups can be found here. Please reach out to librarycommittee@brackettpto.org with any questions.

A few pictures from events last month are below:

• 12/21 - Brackett PTO Fundraiser - Andrina's
• 01/03 - 8:05-8:30am - Coffee with Dr. Vice,
• 01/18 - 6:30-8pm - PTO & Pizza Community Meeting
• 01/18 - Brackett PTO Fundraiser - Andrina's
• 02/05 - 6-7:30pm - Brackett Family Math Night - 4th & 5th grade - Brackett Cafeteria
• 02/09 - 6:30-8:30pm - Brackett All School Family Dance
• Every Friday at 7:20am - Math Mornings for 3rd-5th Grade
• 3rd graders- Library; 4th- Room 204; 5th graders- Room 201
• Every Friday from 8-9am - Brackett Bank

Brackett Bank

The Brackett Bank is open on Fridays from 8-9 am. Starting in the new year, we will welcome our first graders.

• Parents of first graders who would like to open an account for their student can learn how to do so here.
• The bank is still looking for 5th grade tellers! If your 5th grader would like to volunteer, complete the permission form and waiver, and email them to brackettbank@gmail.com.
• Want to see the bank in action? Sign up to volunteer
• Learn more about the bank here. Questions: Email brackettbank@gmail.com

Andrina's Pizza PTO Fundraiser - Thursday, December 21st and Thursday, January 18th

• Mention "Brackett" while ordering pizza from Andrina's (781-648-4800) and the PTO gets 20% back - make dinner easy while supporting the PTO!

Brackett All School Family Dance - Friday, February 9th, 6:30-8:30pm - Brackett Gym and Cafeteria

• 6:30-7:30pm - All lights on, softer music for a more sensory inclusive experience!
• Family fun FREE event for Brackett families
• This is not a drop-off event - children must be accompanied by an 18+ adult (in general, no more than 2-3 children under 8 per supervising adult)
• More info to come in the next few weeks
• For questions or interest in volunteering to help at the dance, please reach out to Lindsay: Lindsay.Kotlarchyk@gmail.com (mom to Cameron (4th) and Jade (Kindergarten))

STEM Committee

Upcoming for 2024:

• Hour of Code: Hour of Code is a national event that exposes students, grades K-5, to develop basic computer programming literacy through a set of grade-specific games. Dates are TBD at the moment.
• STEM Night: This is an evening event held at Brackett (scheduled for March 15, 2024), where STEM takes over the school. Volunteer parents set up tables for a wide variety of fun STEM activities that the students can enjoy.
• Chick Hatching for 1st grade: With help from parent volunteers, the 1st graders incubate and raise baby chicks in the classroom. They get to see the progression of how the chicks grow and hatch. This usually happens in May.
• 4th & 5th Grade Science Fair: The Science Fair is in coordination with the 4th and 5th grade teachers. The STEM Committee lead visits the classrooms to describe the activity to the students. The students then come up with ideas that need to be approved by their teacher. The STEM Committee then provides tri-folds for the students to display their results.
• Family Math Night (BFMN): STEM had a successful BFMN for 2nd and 3rd graders. The last BFMN will be for Grades 4-5, Monday February 5, 6-7:30 pm

If you are interested in volunteering for any of the above activities or for questions about the STEM Committee email stem@brackettpto.org. You do not need to have a background in STEM to volunteer, all are welcome! Our STEM Committee Co-Chairs are Jamie Strand and Elly & Ricardhy Grandoit.

Brackett Book Fair 2023

• Thank you to everyone in the Brackett community for your support at the Brackett Book Fair last month. Together, we raised $2,600 for the Brackett Library! These funds will be used to purchase new books and materials for the library and help foster a love of reading in our students. Happy reading!

Lost and Found

• Photos of items are posted here and students and caregivers can search for lost items in the cafeteria.
• Labels help your items make their way back to you! If you purchase labels through Mabel's Labels (search "Brackett Elementary School" on the fundraising page), you get free shipping and 20% is donated back to the PTO

Looking for a past PTO Newsletter or Family Newsletter from Dr. Vice? Find them here.

• Give a STAR to recognize a Brackett teacher that shines bright! The AEF STARS program offers a way to recognize teachers, specialists and staff members while funding innovative education in the Arlington Public Schools.

• Learn more about the program and how to donate here

• Here is a petition, partially led and shared with us by the Dallin PTO president regarding pedestrian safety on Park Ave.