Friday Update

Happy Friday Foster's Finest,

A little over a week ago, our first graders, along with our fifth graders, and some former Foster High School students presented to the school committee about first grade Kindness Club. I could not be more proud of the students. It was very impactful to be in the room with them while they explained who they were and what Kindness Club is all about. It was particularly powerful to hear that our fifth graders and our high school friends were members of the club in first grade, and desired to come back and help run the club. The impact of this club on our students, and the sense of gratitude that they had for being a part of it shined through. I want to thank Mrs. Bessoud and Mrs. McGrath for making this club happen and the impact it has had with the development of future leaders who are involved in supporting their community.

Currently I am working on setting up Field Day in June. We are planning on an off site Field Day. Members of the PTO are supporting me and we are beginning our meetings to ensure that this will be a success for our students. We are going to be needing parent volunteers to make this work. All volunteers must be CORI checked. If you are interested in supporting us, please make sure you have had your CORI check completed. Mrs. Wanty at the front desk will be able to help you complete the process.

We are all very excited to be scooping ice cream Monday afternoon and evening. A very big thank you to the staff who are all signed-up and ready to serve our families. We look forward to seeing you there.

Have a great weekend!

Mr. Scheufele

Next Wednesday, March 29th, I will be hosting a coffee with the principal. I will be available to answer questions related to the building project and upcoming events. I ask that you please sign-up in advance so I can make sure I have enough coffee and treats. If we have some time, I will take you to the second floor to see the progress. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SXoPqcr0E-j7PtY6VlprKcA7RDnvrJvuPC6jvADGCNY/edit?usp=sharing

Spring is here, which means that it is almost time for our Hingham Public Schools Art Showcase! It will be held Thursday, April 27th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the High School Cafeteria. Art from all schools will be on display, representing what the children learn in art class throughout the District. All families are invited. If your child has a piece of art in the Showcase, they will receive an invitation. (I have not received the invitations yet.)

One of the reasons I started Artsonia so long ago is that there is not enough room to showcase the art of all students on that one night. Children at Foster School have their art "up on display" on Artsonia. First, Second and third grade students have all recently had a piece of theirs uploaded. You can see the galleries here: https://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=104097

Click on a gallery image to open the class. If you are unable to see your child's image in the class gallery, please let me know (or you can give your permission here: https://www.artsonia.com/connect/4DMS33D4)

The transition from elementary to middle school can be overwhelming and intimidating for students and parents alike. It can often feel like there are many "unknowns" and more questions than answers. The reality is that the dedicated educators at both the elementary and secondary level work together to make sure our students have everything they need in place in order for them to have the opportunity to be successful.

If you'd like to learn more about HMS and what special education looks like here, please join SEPAC on Tuesday, March 28, at 6:30 PM in the Distance Learning Theater for a forum for parents of students currently in grade five.

This is the best way to get accurate answers to your special education questions related to the transition from fifth to sixth grade.

We hope to see you there!

Thank you to all our Foster’s Finest for participating in this week’s book fair! Each year we partner with Scholastic Books and they donate 50% of the proceeds back to Foster PTO. This year they will be donating $6,000. The PTO works with Foster School Administration to find opportunities to invest this money back into new books for the school.

A special thank you to Ally Forrest and her family for spending the ENTIRE week at Foster running the book fair for us. This is no small feat, and we truly appreciate all the work you did behind the scenes to make this happen.

To all our daily book fair volunteers who helped our kids make those tough decisions on what to buy (and sometimes what not to buy J ) and how to really stretch a dollar, THANK YOU!

Did you miss the bookfair? NO WORRIES you can still shop online and support Foster by using this link – our online book fair store is still open through March 26th and 25% of the proceeds will support our school https://shop.scholastic.com/parent-ecommerce/parent-store-2.html?fairId=5251636

Thank you everyone who attended last night’s meeting.

We will be meeting again on Wednesday April 26th @ 9:00am = Foster Presentation Room. This will be an information session to learn about all the ways you can get involved with the PTO. It doesn’t matter whether you have 1hr a week, 1hr a month or 1hr a year there is something for everyone! Come for Donuts and Coffee and find out more!

Parents and Caregivers please join us for a discussion with Dr. Nadja Reilly, Clinical Psychologist, on understanding anxiety and depression from a developmental perspective. This presentation is being sponsored by Foster, PRS, East & South School PTO’s.

Math Olympics Trophy Winner

Congratulations to Mrs. Pravia’s 4th Graders for taking home the Math Olympics trophy this week!

If you have any questions about the program please reach out to Caitlin fostermatholympics@gmail.com

More Math Olympics information can be found here:

https://fostermatholympics.weebly.com

50% of all proceeds will be donated to PTO. This includes cones, cups, quarts, pints, smoothies and ice cream cakes. If you have a birthday party coming up feel free to call ahead at 781-749-3999 to reserve your ice cream cake during the hours of 4-8pm. The Class & Grade with the highest participation will win a special prize!

The Foster Staff scooping schedule is as follows:

4:00-5:00: Audrey Healey, Matt Scheufele, Jennine Pratt, Charlotte Bessoud, and Sarah Vogel

Check in Teachers: Erin McGuire & Cynthia McKeon

5:00-6:00: Brooke Benoit, Madeline Martin, Monica Barry, Stacy Heinlein, and Julie Quinlivan

Check in Teachers: Paul Riser & Laura Murphy

6:00-7:00: Jen Newell, Michelle Katnani, Liz Moore, Courtney Stevenson, and Ali Thompson

7:00-8:00: Laura Patnaude, Meghanne Quirk, Devon Smith, Mackenzie Connolly, and Nancy Mannion

Do you need childcare so you can attend Town Meeting? Drop your kids off for a fun night at the Hingham Rec. Register here: https://hinghamma.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=29911

All Hingham Public Schools are getting back on track with separating & recycling trash. So will our Foster Finest! Come help our kids correctly sort their trash after lunch! We're looking for lunch 'slash the trash' parent volunteers on the following days. Thank you for making sure you are CORI'd.

• Wednesday, 3/29
• Thursday, 3/30
• Friday, 3/31

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/gi9kgDuypgV41U8Z8

If you signed up you should have received an email from our Talent Show Committee about your students Audition Date & instructions for either:

Monday, March 27th 2:30-3:30

Tuesday March 28th 2:30-3:30PM

**You must complete the dismissal form emailed to you if you have any questions please email: fosterschooltalent@gmail.com

Please join Hingham Middle School Principal, Derek Smith, for a discussion on "The Transition To Middle School".

When: Tuesday April 4th

Where: Foster School Library

Time: 7:00-8:00pm

RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/6JXcotUZFJfRnibaA

Yearbook Picture submissions NEEDED ASAP!

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 3/31.

To ensure all our 5th graders are included in the candid picture collages in the yearbook, we need you to submit your pictures.

What types of pictures are you looking for?

• Foster school events only please. Only pictures taken at Foster or on school field trips. Note that we'd love pictures from all their years at school, so dig back through your files for Kindergarten - now.
• Group pictures are the best so we can include the most smiling faces!
• Baby pictures! We will have the 5th grade baby pictures included in the book.

How to submit pictures

Please add any photos with this link to the yearbook platform.

Please list your child's name (if you are a teacher submitting, list your name) in the 'student' section, list 5th grade as their grade and then PLEASE make sure to add a description (i.e. Aquarium trip, Field Day, Halloween Parade, “Name” / baby picture)

Please reach out to (dsdock@gmail.com) with any questions you may have. And, if you would like to help in pulling the yearbook together, your help would be greatly appreciated.

For the latest information on all things PTO please remember to follow the PTO on Instagram @Foster_PTO_02043, Facebook: @Foster PTO & Be sure to join the PTO Facebook Group too: Foster PTO News.

Please check out our website: www.fosterpto.com

Community Info:

Save The Date: March 25th 10am – 12pm

Who: Kids (11+) & Families

What: The Hingham Women's Club Go Green Committee is looking for volunteers to help clean up route 3A, please join us with your kids on March 25th. RSVP Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSedxTWeOVD4HefMRLEb_R3vHd2E98Y_Ivf0-C1qyHYEcEWF6g/viewform

Hingham Women's Club is an organization of women that serves the Hingham and South Shore communities, providing charitable giving, direct community service, and social opportunities for its members.

From Our Friends at Hingham Maritime Center:

For ages 7-12
Does your child want to see what it’s like out in the picturesque Hingham Harbor?

Do they want to experience a new activity that they can do with a friend?

Sign them up for our beginner sailing lessons and we will help your child gain a sense of comfort and confidence on the water while learning new skills that could last a lifetime.

REGISTER at the HMC website: https://www.hinghammaritime.org/

Friday May 12th 5-7pm

Location: The Hingham Community Center, 70 South Street.

More details to follow from The 5th Grade Committee.

Please see the flyer to sign-up if you are interested.