Brackett PTO

• Come join us TONIGHT (03/21 - 6:30-8pm) for a PTO Community Meeting - In-Person and Virtual
• In addition to PTO updates and news, we'll be having two APS parents and mental health specialists (Megan Uy, LMHC and Dana Sarvey, MD) joining us to discuss the topic "Our Kids and Their Feelings." Megan Uy, LMHC, will be joining us at Brackett for an in-person discussion and Dr. Dana Sarvey will be joining us for the virtual meeting. These will be two separate discussions on the same topic. More details, including the link for the virtual meeting, and RSVP form can be found here.

Teacher & Staff Breakfast - March 29th

The PTO will be organizing a grab and go breakfast for teachers and staff on Friday, March 29th (the makeup day) - if you're interested in providing any breakfast foods, coffee, or helping with set up, please reach out to president@brackettpto.com

Food Drive

Volunteers are needed to help drive donated food over to Arlington EATS on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 26th around 3:30pm. Please reach out to Lauren at laurenn@brackettpto.org if interested. Thank you!

February and March were a busy time with lots of PTO activities :

• Hour of Code- volunteers coordinated activities for all classrooms that help introduce and develop basic computer programming literacy skills
• Read-a-thon - the students read over 335,000 minutes and over $22,000 was raised for the PTO to put back into school enrichment and events. To celebrate reaching the reading goal, Dr. Vice and Mr. Vanderlaine dressed up in inflatable T-Rex and Unicorn costumes!
• Floor Lords - thanks to your donations and the Cultural Enrichment committee's coordination, the Floor Lords came in to give the students a performance, which the students loved!
• STEM Night - the STEM committee put on another engaging and successful STEM night, with tons of interesting tables and individuals sharing STEM related activities and information
• Spirit Wear - spirit wear orders were distributed last week and Brackett school spirit is on full display!
• Amanda Foody, Author Visit - thanks to funds raised by the Book Fair, Amanda Foody visited today (03/21) to talk to students about her books, including the "Wilderlore" series, and how she comes up with her magical stories and characters

Thank you - all of the support for the PTO in the form of time, ideas, and fundraising makes all these wonderful events and activities possible!

• 03/21 - Brackett PTO Meeting (6:30-8pm)
• 03/21 - Brackett PTO Fundraiser - Andrina's
• Now - 03/26 - Spring Food Drive
• 05/01 - Coffee with Dr. Vice (8:05-8:45am)
• 05/06 - 05/10 - Teacher Appreciation Week
• 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

Andrina's Pizza PTO Fundraiser - Thursday, March 21st

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

Spring Food Drive

The Spring Food Drive, benefiting Arlington EATS, runs through Tuesday, March 26th. Collecting during drop off each morning.

• Kindergarten: Cereal (Especially Cheerios)

• Grade 1: Dried beans

• Grade 2: Canned Fruit (Pineapple is loved)

• Grade 3: Condiments (Mustard, Mayo, Ketchup)

• Grade 4: Salad Dressing and Soup

• Grade 5: Individual Pretzel Bags/Applesauce Cups (for the Brackett Snack Program)

• All grades are encouraged to donate reusable bags!

Please check expiration dates – Arlington EATS cannot accept expired food.

Standard size items preferred to jumbo.

Thank you for your support!!!

Lost and Found

• Lost and Found is overflowing again! All unclaimed items will be donated at the end of March. 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

STEM Committee

• Chick Hatching for 1st grade: This event happens in May, and with help from parent volunteers for each first grade class, the 1st graders incubate and raise baby chicks in the classroom. The kids get to see the progression of how the chicks grow and hatch. 1st grade parents will get an email from their room parent with more information.

If you are interested in volunteering or have any 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.

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.

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

Robbins Library Children’s Book Sale- Save the Date - Saturday, May 18 at the Robbins Library. We will be selling children’s and Young Adult books, puzzles, games and more. Donations will be received at the Robbins Library beginning in early May. Start cleaning off those bookshelves! Teens may earn Community Service hours helping to prepare for the Sale.