Dear Zervas Families,

As I write this to you, I am very much struck by the fact that there are only about 35 days of school left in this school year! It seems amazing to me that the year has flown by so quickly. This is always an exciting time of year in schools; students are deep in their learning with engaging projects and activities; while at the same time teachers are aware that things will be winding down soon. As we come to the end of this year, we are also deep in preparation for the next. Here are a few items to keep in mind…

Planning for next year
With the Superintendent’s budget recently passed, we can start our planning for next year. We are pleased that there will be no cuts to the budget and that we will be able to maintain our class sizes and programs. We know that we will have 3 Kindergarten classes, 3 First Grades, 2 Second Grades, 3 Third Grades, 2 Fourth Grades and 3 Fifth Grades for the 2013-2014 school year. In the upcoming weeks, we will solidify teaching assignments as well as classroom placements for students. Please remember that, if you choose to provide information about your child regarding next year’s classroom placement, all forms need to be returned by Friday, May 10. Thank you.

P.B.L.I. is back!
As we end the school year there will be a variety of events for parents and families to attend to celebrate all of the accomplishments made by our students. I know that your children’s teachers will be working hard to plan for these and will notify you about when specific events take place. One very special school-wide event will be our P.B.L.I. Sharing. Sponsored by the work of the School Council, P.B.L.I. (Project Based Learning Initiatives) aims to increase our focus on engaging students in projects and lessons that promote critical and creative thinking skills. This year’s school-wide theme is “Our Natural World” which will involve students and teachers in hands-on, thematic projects. Students will work on these projects throughout the month of May and we will have an P.B.L.I. All-School Sharing on Tuesday, May 28. Families are invited in at 8:20-9:30 a.m. for this event. We hope to see you all there!

Zervas School Fair
I look forward to seeing everyone at the Zervas Fair this weekend on Saturday, May 11. Hopefully some of the wonderful weather we’ve been having will stick around for this event. I remember coming to the Fair last year and being so impressed with the excitement, engagement and enjoyment of the children, families and staff. I am looking forward to bringing my family again this year!

MCAS
May brings with it another round of MCAS testing for students in grades 3, 4 and 5. Here is the upcoming schedule:
May 6 & 7 – Grade 5 – Math
May 9 & 10 – Grade 5 – Science
May 13 & 14 – Grade 4 – Math
May 15 & 16 – Grade 3 – Math

Wishing you all a wonderful spring!
Diana