Merriam PTO N2K ( Need to Know)

From the PTO Board: Neena Arora, Kristina Rychlik, Dianna McNeish and Eleni Digenis-Bury

Week of 9/19/11

9/27  Tuesday -- Merriam PTO Meeting 7:30 PM  (please note change of date)

9/29  Thursday -- No School

9/30  Friday -- School Pictures

10/7  Friday – Community Day

10/10  Monday – No School

10/11  Tuesday --  School Council Meeting 6:00 to 7:30 PM

10/15 Saturday – Merriam School Fall Fair 4 – 7 PM

                             Merriam Wear Fundraiser begins

10/26  Wednesday – Early Dismissal

11/1    Tuesday – Professional Day, No School for Students

                             Teacher Appreciation Luncheon

11/30  Wednesday – Teachers vs PTO Basketball Game Fundraiser

Please join us for our first PTO meeting on September 27 at 7:30PM in the school library.  The Merriam PTO is made up of all parents and guardians of Merriam School, as well as teachers and staff.  PTO meetings generally include PTO business by the PTO board, grade level reports by teacher representatives and a topic for discussion. At this meeting, Ed Kaufman, our principal, will lead us in a discussion of confidentiality in the classroom.

Photos to be taken outdoors by Coffee Pond Photography.

Please look for order forms that went home in backpacks last Friday and have your child return it to school ON Picture Day.

Please contact Karla Smith with questions, karla.galfetti@gmail.com or 978.266.0404

(Raindate:  Friday, October 19^th)

MAKE MONEY FOR MERRIAM WHEN YOU SHOP!

Hard to believe, but you can raise money for Merriam just by collecting a few things when you shop. These programs have raised thousands of dollars and earned FREE school supplies for Merriam, and you can help! Here’s how: 

Do you buy Yoplait yogurt? Viva paper towels? Kleenex tissues? These are just a few of the many items that have the small BoxTops for Education stamp on them. Just collect the stamps. 

If you shop at Donelan’s, save your cash register receipts from September 1 to March 31.

Send your BoxTops stamps and Donelan’s receipts in to school with your child -- there’s a box in the office to collect them. And that’s it! If you have any questions, contact Sandy Cummings at sbcummings1@verizon.net

Vegetable and Fruit Tasting Sept. 23^rd:  Do you want your children to eat more vegetables?  The cafeteria is doing a fruit and vegetable tasting on Friday, Sept. 23 and they are looking for 2-3 parent volunteers to help during lunchtime - 11:00 - 1:15.  If you are available to help, please contact  Neena Arora (neenaarora@aol.com)

Room Parents: There are still a few classes that need one or more room parents:  Lee Trench (1)  , Wendy Tompkins (1) , Kristin Indge (1) , Allyson Whatcott (2), Judy LaFrancis(2) and Christy Nealon (1) .  If interested, please contact Lauren Pollak at lpollak@partners.org

Merriam School Front Office: A few more volunteers still needed for the Merriam School front office.  The commitment is a few hours in the morning for one day, every other week. If you are interested in volunteering or would like more information, please call/email Dianna McNeish at 978-263-1825, mcneish4@verizon.net.

Thursday Photocopying: One parent needed to help with photocopying, every other Thursday.  Please contact Karen Brandstein at kmwb1@yahoo.com.

Cultural Enrichment Committee:  Did your children enjoy Dancing Wheels and Ball in the House last year?  Would you like to help bring cultural programs to Merriam students?  Please contact Rita Gupta (rgrite@yahoo.com)

To learn about other volunteer opportunities, please contact Neena Arora (neenaarora@aol.com) or Kristina Rychlik (krychlik@mac.com).

The Merriam School directory is a wonderful resource for all families and we are currently taking orders for those who wish to purchase one or more copies. The directory is going back to its previous convenient 8.5” x 5.5” size. If you need an order form please go to our PTO website, www.merriampto.org. 

Volunteers are a very important part of the Merriam library.  Tasks performed by volunteers include helping shelve books, helping students find books, or helping with other general library tasks.

The library schedules volunteers either to come in when their child’s class has their regular library time or at a different time during the week.  Either way, we ask that you commit to an hour or more, and that you are able to come every week or every other week. 

Classroom teachers coordinate the volunteers to help during each class’ library time, while Joan Hilton, the Merriam librarian, coordinates volunteers needed at other times during the week.  Ideally, we’d like one or two parents helping in the library every day.

For more information or if you are able to help, please contact Joan Hilton (jhilton@mail.ab.mec.edu).