Peter Noyes Friday Flyers

Week Ending December 8th

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Upcoming Events

December 11.....School Council Meeting 2:40 PM

December 13....Early Release Day Dismissal 11:45 AM

December 14....Staff Cookie Swap

December 25 - January 1....No School (Winter Recess)

January 4th......PTO Zoom Meeting 7:00 PM

January 10.....Early Release Day Dismissal 11:45 AM

January 15......No School (MLK Day)

January 24.....No School (Professional Development Day)

January 31.....Early Release Day Dismissal 11:45 AM

February 9.......5th Grade Hosts Movie Night!

February 14.....Early Release Day Dismissal 11:45 AM

February 19-23.....February Vacation - No School

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From The Desk of Mrs. Doyle

Dear Peter Noyes Families,

Happy Friday! Thank you for reading these reminders.

GIFTS TO PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AND STAFF

We have so many generous and kind Sudbury families who look for ways to show appreciation to our teachers and staff. While we are so appreciative of your thoughtfulness, please know there are ethical considerations around whether or not we can accept a gift. We must stay in compliance with the Conflict of Interest law and the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission.

The MA State Ethics Commission advises the following:

In general, a public employee may not accept any gift worth $50 or more that is given because of the position he or she holds. Public employees may accept gifts that are worth less than $50, but they have to disclose in writing that they have done so, if based on the specific circumstances, a reasonable person would think that the public employee might unduly show favor to the giver or the giver’s child, or be influenced by the giver.

The law prohibits gifts to public employees, not gifts to public agencies. You may give gifts to a public school, or a particular classroom, in which case the $50 limit does not apply.

The Ethics Commission created an exemption to permit class gifts to teachers. A teacher may accept a gift, or several gifts during the school year, from public school students and/or their parents and guardians, with an aggregated value of up to $150, if the gift is identified only as being from the class, and the identity of the givers and the individual amounts given are not identified to the recipient. Gifts received pursuant to this exemption are not required to be disclosed. The donor is unknown, so a reasonable person would not conclude that the gift would influence the teacher's conduct with regard to any individual or would cause the teacher to favor any individual.

More information is available here.

COLLECTION OF CLASSROOM FUNDS

At times, Room Parents may ask for contributions from classroom families for things like teacher gifts or celebrations. Please know that it is not required to participate in this collection and I ask that we all remain mindful that families may choose not to participate for any number of reasons. To all our amazing Room Parents, thank you so much for all you do. It is deeply appreciated. Thank you also for keeping any monetary requests reasonably low and offering ways for families to contribute what they choose – including $0 – without penalty.

PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR AT PARENT PICK UP

I know it’s tempting to get out of the car and wave over your children, but PLEASE do not get out of your car unless there are special circumstances. It’s safer and less confusing for all students if the adults stay in their vehicles. Thank you for following this expectation and all the directions our staff members provide at arrival and dismissal.

VACATIONS AND “MAKE UP” WORK

As we approach Winter Break, let’s talk about vacations. Taking time to rejuvenate with family and friends is important for everyone’s mental health and a nice, long 10-day stretch like this upcoming one will give us this all important downtime. We are lucky to have several vacation breaks throughout the school year.

We know some families extend school vacation weeks or take vacations that cause children to miss multiple school days. Please remember these are unexcused absences. Also, there is language in the SPS Family Handbook related to schoolwork and vacation, which I’m including here for your convenience:

Parents who voluntarily take their children out of school for vacations are assuming the responsibility for their children's educational program. It should be realized that teachers cannot realistically provide work to take the place of instruction missed during planned absences.

Thank you for not asking or expecting teachers to create “make up” work for your child if you choose to take your child out of school for vacation.

SICKNESS

It’s that time of year where we are seeing colds and flus. As a reminder, children who have a fever are not allowed to return to school until they are fever-free without medication for 24 hours. Also, if your child is not feeling well and you can tell they’re sick even if they don’t have a fever, do not send them to school. If they feel lousy, they won’t be able to learn and they’ll expose their classmates and teachers unnecessarily. We are counting on you to keep school as healthy as it can be.

HOLIDAY ASSISTANCE FOR FAMILIES IN NEED

As I shared last week, the Sudbury Police Department is sponsoring “Shop with a Cop” on December 14 where a child in need can shop with a police officer and spend up to $50 selecting items of their choice. This is geared for children ages 5-13. There is also a Holiday Assistance Program through the Sudbury Police Association. I’m including the Google forms below for both.

Shop with a Cop Form

Holiday Assistance Form

Have a wonderful weekend.

Warmly,

Annette Doyle

Dear Families,

We want to thank you for all the incredible support you have provided to the Food Pantry. Every month, Noyes has been the biggest contributor helping our community in a way you can't even imagine.

Next week we have the last drive of the calendar year and we kindly ask for your cooperation again. Consider donating 3-4 items depending on your possibilities.

Thank you for your generosity. Happy Holidays!

Food Pantry team