ESTABROOK BUZZ

THUR. MAR. 22, 8:15-8:45 AM | JAM THE VAN - Please see flyers sent home. We are collecting for the REACH Women's Shelter in Waltham. They are in need of new bedding, towels, washcloths, paper goods (tissues, paper towels, etc), dental hygiene products, laundry detergent, ziploc bags, Swiffer wet and dry cloths, children’s socks and underwear, plastic cups and utensils, tall garbage bags, snack packs for children (goldfish, pretzels, juice boxes, etc), personal hygiene products for women.

THUR. MAR. 22, 11:00-11:30 AM | GRADE 2 ALL-SCHOOL ASSEMBLY. Parents of Grade 2 students invited. Estabrook Cafeteria.

SAT. MAR. 24 | METCO Family Friends Day in Boston

SUN. MAR. 25| ESTABROOK SPAGHETTI DINNER. Two seatings: 5:00 pm or 6:15 pm. Grade 5 students host to support their spring Nature's Classroom trip. Sponsored by the Estabrook PTO. Tickets required in advance. Please contact Hema Gandhi hemagandhi@hotmail.com with questions about tickets.

WED. MAR. 28, 11:15-11:45 AM | GRADE 4 ALL-SCHOOL ASSEMBLY. Parents of Grade 4 students invited. Estabrook Cafeteria.

WED. MAR. 29, 12:15 PM | HALF-DAY DISMISSAL - PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

THUR. MAR. 29, 12:15 PM | HALF-DAY DISMISSAL - PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

THUR. MAR. 29 | METCO EXTENDED LEARNING PROGRAM (MELP)

FRI. MAR. 30 | GOOD FRIDAY, NO SCHOOL, SCHOOLS & OFFICES CLOSED

WED. APR. 4, 12:15 PM | HALF-DAY DISMISSAL - PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

THUR. APR. 5, 12:15 PM | HALF-DAY DISMISSAL - PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

THUR. APR. 5 | METCO EXTENDED LEARNING PRORAM (MELP)

FRI. APR. 6, 8:15-8:45 | PRINCIPAL COFFEE in Estabrook's Literacy Center. Join us for an update on the district's Youth Risk Behavior Survey results for middle school and high school. All are welcome. Coffee provided.

WED. APR. 11, 8:15-8:45 AM | SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL & JAM THE VAN. Walk, bus, carpool, or bike to school. We are collecting school and art supplies for Casa Nueva Vida (family homeless shelter) - new notebooks, pencils, crayons, markers...a flyer will be sent home

THUR. APR. 12 | METCO FAMILY FRIENDS

MON. APR. 16 - FRI. APR. 20 | APRIL VACATION / NO SCHOOL

WED. APR. 25, 3:30-4:15PM | ESTABROOK SITE COUNCIL. Estabrook Conference Room.

THUR. APR. 26 | METCO EXTENDED LEARNING PRORAM (MELP)

SAT. APR. 28 | TALENT SHOW. Sponsored by the Estabrook PTO.

Again this April and May, students across Massachusetts will take part in the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) testing. The assessment is one measure of how students, teachers and schools are performing throughout the state, and one of many tools teachers and administrators use to measure student growth and identify unmet needs. At the elementary level, students in grades 3, 4 and 5 participate in English language arts and math assessments. Students in grade 5 also complete a science assessment.

As in years past, students will answer multiple choice, short answer and open-response questions in both reading and math, as well as text-based essay questions in English language arts. Teachers will provide students with the opportunity to see what the test will look like and interact with the platform before testing day, to assure students’ familiarity and comfort. Students in grade 3 will complete the testing using a paper booklet, while grades 4 and 5 will take complete the test using a computer.

The 2018 testing schedule is as follows:

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
Monday, April 2: Grade 5 ELA Session 1
Tuesday, April 3: Grade 5 ELA Session 2
Monday, April 9: Grade 4 ELA Session 1
Tuesday, April 10: Grade 4 ELA Session 2
Tuesday, April 24: Grade 3 ELA Session 1
Wednesday, April 25: Grade 3 ELA Session 2

MATH
Monday, April 30: Grade 4 Math Session 1
Tuesday, May 1: Grade 4 Math Session 2
Wednesday, May 2: Grade 5 Math Session 1
Friday, May 4: Grade 5 Math Session 2
Monday, May 7: Grade 3 Math Session 1
Tuesday, May 8: Grade 3 Math Session 2

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY/ENGINEERING
Wednesday, May 9: Grade 5 Science Session 1
Friday, May 11: Grade 5 Science Session 2

For those of you who haven’t had a 5th grader at Estabrook before, the t-shirts and yearbooks are a lovely tradition to commemorate their years at Estabrook and celebrate almost being finished!

Due to the successful bake sale fundraising organized by Pei Ling Man and Manisha Patel, and supported by so many families, we are able to offer a special combination price for a t-shirt and yearbook together. Students also have the option to personalize their t-shirts with their names or a nickname on the back (up to 12 letters) for an extra $5. The t-shirts in the combination price include the personalization.

Prices are as follows:
Personalized t-shirt and yearbook combo: $40
Yearbook alone: $35
Personalized t-shirt alone: $15
t-shirt without personalization: $10

The 5th graders will wear their shirts for various end of year events, so we hope everyone can purchase one. For financial assistance, please contact Mr. Willis, Estabrook guidance counselor, at mwillis@lexingtonma.org.

Please go to https://www.myschoolanywhere.com/cart-new.a5w?cart=EstabrookSchool9588 and choose which item to purchase.

If you have any questions, please contact Karen Griffiths (karen@griffithsweb.com).

The Estabrook Maker Space Carts need your help - and your recyclables! Please send in donations from home to keep our carts fully stocked and available for student use.

Please note: All materials should be clean and dry. Please do not send in glitter, glass, or liquids. If you have questions about the appropriateness of a donation,

please email Mark Taggart at mtaggart@lexingtonma.org prior to sending them in.

The following items would be helpful (though we're wide open to other safe materials not on this list):

large plastic storage bins with lids, batteries (all sizes - do not need to be new, but need to work), buttons, spools of thread, flower pots, cardboard tubes, clay/Play-doh, aluminum foil, craft sticks, gears, googly eyes, hand tools (hammer, screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, sandpaper), K’nex, Legos, Magnatiles, magnets, marbles, ping-pong balls, golf balls, pulleys, pvc pipes, rubber bands, glue (all kinds), string, rope, yarn, masking tape, duct tape, wheels, glue guns, glue gun sticks, boxes (no larger than 1.5 feet in any dimension), building blocks, bubble wrap, CDs, foam trays, plastic bottle caps, rubber bands, springs, gears, fabric scraps, drinking straws, and

board game pieces.

Thank you!

We are excited to announce that our school community is participating in the Crayola marker recycling project. The Crayola company has a program in which they recycle not only their own products, but all brands of markers, including dry erase markers. This venture makes a huge difference in keeping plastics out of landfills.

Our staff and students will be recycling markers at school, and we invite you to participate, as well. You may bring any old markers you have at home and recycle them at school. There is a plastic bin located in the front entry of the school, on the right side of the lost and found cupboards. Simply place the markers there.

Thank you for helping Estabrook be "green!"

-Mrs. Linton, Kindergarten Teacher