The latest announcements from the Principal and the PTO...

Principal’s Letter

Posted on April 2, 2012 by zervaspto in From the Principal

Dear Zervas Families,

Next year’s budget, which was recently submitted by David Fleishman, superintendent of schools, has been approved by the School Committee. It is one of the more positive budgets we have seen since I have been in Newton. There will be no major cuts to programming at Zervas, and there will be some restoration of programming lost last year. Fourth grade chorus will be restored, and the time of art classes at some grades will be increased. While class sizes continue to look favorable for next year, these will not be finalized until we get a clearer sense of enrollment changes across all of the city’s schools. Representatives from the School Committee will be coming to Zervas at our next scheduled School Council meeting to talk about the budget and other issues facing the Newton Public Schools. All members of the Zervas community are encouraged to attend this meeting. It will take place on Wednesday night, April 11, at 7:00 pm in the library. Please join us if you can.

One of the major topics discussed at this year’s Zervas School Council meetings has been ways we can increase creative and critical thinking in our classrooms. In pursuit of this goal, we have decided to set aside a week in May in all of our classrooms to focus on more project-based learning activities, with a common theme across the grades. We have chosen the natural environment as our theme. Each grade level will choose an appropriate focus for this theme, and will engage in week long projects allowing students to explore the topic in a variety of ways so that they can develop a deeper understanding of the topic. Classes will develop a variety of ways to demonstrate and share their learning with students in other grades and with their parents. We will present our final projects at an evening showcase on Tuesday, May 29, so save that date. You will be hearing more about this initiative in the coming months, so stay tuned.

We are just two weeks away from April vacation. Right after April vacation we will begin the process of placing students into homeroom classrooms for the 2012-2013 school year. As usual, our goal is to create balanced classrooms which reflect the overall diversity of the Zervas community. We strive for balance in terms of gender, racial and ethnic backgrounds, learning and behavioral styles, social maturity, and special needs. We try to create supportive peer groups which are likely to promote healthy and productive learning environments for each and every child. When you come back from vacation we will send home the “yellow form” which gives you the opportunity to share important information with us that applies to the placement of your child for the following year. This form is optional. It must be returned by Friday, May 4. We begin putting together the new classes right after that day, so we can not consider information given to us after the first week in May.

Also right after April vacation is the Annual Newton Serves Day. This year it will be on Sunday, April 29. Please join us to help spruce up the Zervas grounds. It looks like it is going to a busy spring! I hope to see you at one of these events at Zervas.

Warmly,
Steve Griffin

Co-Presidents’ Letter

Posted on April 2, 2012 by zervaspto in Co-Presidents Letter, From the PTO

Spring arrived with a bang in March.  Hard to believe we had a week of 70 and 80 degree weather.  As the weather warms up, the items on the Lost and Found table multiply.  Please take a moment during your next trip through the school to identify and retrieve any missing items.
 
During the month of March, our PTO Nominating Committee got together to determine which committees will have openings for the next school year.  Our goal is to identify committee chairs before we return back to school in the fall and hopefully we will fill any open positions with new volunteers.  We welcome new parent volunteers, who bring fresh ideas and energy to our committees. If you are interested in getting involved and have not had an opportunity to do so, please contact Joanne Hooker at Joannekhooker@netscape.net.

Our Creative Arts and Sciences Team, led by Liz Beckett and Elizabeth Graham, was busy in March bringing several fantastic supplemental programs into the school.  This is a great example of our PTO dollars hard at work.   Please see the CA&S update below for a brief description of the programs your children experienced recently or will experience soon.

April is the month that Kindergarten Soccer begins for the Spring season, with the first games scheduled for Saturday April 14th.  This is a fantastic program that Zervas has run since 1993, and it requires a lot of effort and management on the part of the co-chairs.  Thank you to Matt Goldstein, Debra Stump and Scott Goddess for their work on this over the past several months. This program not only provides an important non-competitive recreational outlet for kindergarten and preschool families, but also provides the Zervas PTO with an important revenue source!

A reminder to please save the dates June 1st (and June 8th as a rain date) between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm.  We will have our end of year picnic and send off party for Mr. Griffin.  We hope you can join us.
 
As always, please check the PTO calendar for upcoming activities http://zervaspto.org/calendar/.

Creative Art and Sciences Update

Posted on April 2, 2012 by zervaspto in From the PTO

Creative Arts and Sciences recently brought the following programs to Zervas:

Talking Cello – Mrs. Sandy Keifer introduced her Cello, who, with a ‘knock’ on his door was willing to come out of his case because our Kindergardeners were so attentive… with ‘Mrs. K’s’ help, they wrote a short story & played the song on the Cello…and learned all about the parts of this elegant, huge instrument.

Explore the Ocean World – marine biologist Ellen Goethel met with our first grade scientists to share with them artifacts from the deep abyss, and other rare whale and shark parts… in addition to handling several sea creatures.
Eine Kleine Konsort, a recorder ensemble comprised of music teachers came in to ‘jam’ with our 3rd grade. The students played their recorders as well as a variety of percussion instruments in an entertaining program. In fact, our 3rd graders surprised their guests by performing a wonderful rendition of ‘The Recorder Rap’, written by Eine Kleine Konsort, but adapted by our very own Mr Mignone.

The Museum of Science brought Motion: Forces and Work into the 5th grade class. Both student and staff volunteers helped in many demonstrations as they learned about the relationship between work, force and motion and how by using simple machines we can make tasks easier – such as using a lever to lift a 5th grade teacher several feet into the air!

coming up…

Second Graders to take a virtual trip to Ghana, Africa with Tufts University Professor Nani Agbeli, playing drums, dancing and learning about their culture.

Mitali Perkins, local author, will come in to talk to our 4th graders about Life Between Cultures. Mitali was born in Calcutta, India, & grew up in California when her family immigrated to the US.

Reminder: No School on April 6th

Posted on April 2, 2012 by zervaspto in From the PTO

Newton Public Schools will be closed on April 6th in observance of Good Friday. Also, school will be closed the week of April 16th – April 20th for Spring Break.

Newton School Committee reps come to Zervas

Posted on April 2, 2012 by zervaspto in From the PTO

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, April 11th at 7:00 pm, when members  of the Newton School Committee will come to Zervas to discuss the FY ’13 budget and answer questions that our community may have concerning the budget.  This event will take the place of the regularly scheduled School Council Meeting that is normally held at this time.

How to Use the Blue Zone

Posted on March 21, 2012 by zervaspto in From the PTO
  • Pull up toward Beacon St. as far as possible to make room for cars pulling in behind you. Your kids are able to walk a few extra steps to the front door of the school.
  • Please pull close into the curb so that the back of your car is not sticking out into the street.
  • Children should exit the car on the sidewalk side only.
  • Do not get out of your car except for a true emergency!!
  • Teach your children to open and close the car doors. Even kindergartners can learn to do this.
  • If space opens in front of your car, please pull forward.
  • Prearrange Blue Zone pickups with your children so that they don’t end up playing in the playground instead of looking for you in the Blue Zone. If this happens, go around the block and park in the non-Blue Zone area so that you can get out and look for your kids. It only takes a minute to go around the block.
  • Do not double park. If the Blue Zone is full, please circle around (left on Beacon, left on Allen, left on Woodward, left on Beethoven).
  • Please explain these guidelines to your parents and other child care providers who may use the Blue Zone without the benefit of reading this.

Please donate your spare change to the Make Change Drive, March 19th -30th.

Posted on March 21, 2012 by zervaspto in From the PTO

Every year Zervas fifth graders choose a good cause to support for their class Social Action Project.  This year, to honor Mr. Griffin, they have selected Mass Audubon, one of his favorite charities.

The first fundraising project is the Make Change Drive.  Please send your spare change in to your child’s classroom anytime from March 19th to March 30th.   There will be a special collection box in each classroom, and the fifth graders will be explaining the project to each class.
 
Mass Audubon works to protect the nature of Massachusetts for people and wildlife.  It cares for more than 34,000 acres of conservation land, provides educational programs for 225,000 children and adults annually, and advocates for sound environmental policies at the local, state and federal levels.

Thank you for your change!

Support GELF

Posted on March 21, 2012 by zervaspto in From the Principal

In Newton we are lucky to have many wonderful programs supporting our children. One such program at the two high schools is the Global Education Leadership Fund (GELF), which benefits lower income Newton students aspiring to participate in our international educational programs.

Here are three ways in which you can support GELF:
1. Bid on an auction item, including one by Principal Griffin who has donated four Children’s Museum tickets AND, if desired, Lunch with Mr. Griffin OR challenge Superintendent Fleishman in a one hour tennis lesson and much more.

2. Come to the upcoming GELF dinner on March 24th, which includes a five-course tasting menu with selected wines inspired by the various international regions our scholarship students have explored. Your hosts and servers for the evening will include the Superintendent, and our high school, middle and elementary school principals. The evening concludes with dancing to live music. You can purchase seats, $125/person, by clicking here or sending Continue reading →

MCAS schedule flip dates

Posted on March 14, 2012 by zervaspto in From the PTO

Please note that school will be dismissed at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, March 20th and at 12:30 pm on Wednesday, March 21st to accommodate the MCAS schedule.

ZASP – MCAS Switch Days

Posted on March 14, 2012 by zervaspto in From the PTO

On March 20th , and March 21st , 2012 the Zervas School is scheduling the MCAS switch day. Tuesday, March 22, 2011 the school day will end at 3:00 p.m.  We will still have K-time from 12:30-3 p.m.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011 the school day will end at 12:30  p.m.  ZASP will treat Wednesday as an early release day and Tuesday as a regular 3:00 p.m. day. RAD will stay at ZASP for a pizza lunch and movie.

Parents can trade Tuesday for Wednesday at no extra cost or can add Wed for an additional cost. Please contact zervasasp@aol.com for more information.