Dear Sprague Community

Along with the PTO Board, I would be remiss if we overlooked the opportunity to applaud our sublime PTO President, Matt McKay aka The Rock, for his outstanding leadership, during the development, as well as, the event of this year's Cookie Walk.

Matt's consistency of leadership, objectivity, unwavering support, sense of humor, dedication to tradition and Sprague H.E.A.R.T. Values were apparent throughout all the various stages of the Cookie Walk. Whether Matt lead, followed or simply stepped aside, he maintained a demeanor of enthusiasm that we can all aspire to.

It is an honor for me, the PTO Board, Sprague's parent community, and Wellesley at large to work along side Matt as a fellow parent, but much more, we are all very grateful to call him friend.

Very warm regards,

Elizabeth    

Upcoming Dates

Wednesday, December 24th 2014 - Friday, January 2nd 2015
Year end Vacation

Monday, January 5th 2015
School

Friday, January 9th 2015
Walk to School Day
9:00 PTO Board Meeting in Cafeteria

Sprague PTO Update

Dear Sprague Community,

One of the benefits we all enjoy this time of year is ample time to sit back and contemplate all of our good fortune. What? I lost you already as you scan down the email while balancing your phone between the only two fingers you have available while you shuffle out of whatever store dragging your little treasures back to the car. (Alright, maybe your kids don't need to be dragged through stores like mine)

Let me try again. Who hasn't had minutes, if not hours, added to their travel time lately while trying to drive down Washington St, or (heaven forbid) down Rte 9 to the mall? The other day I benefited from this 'good fortune' while finding myself on the wrong side of Natick Mall trying to make it to an appointment. Okay, maybe I wasn't counting my blessings at the time...

All that said, reflecting on the first four months of the school year makes me happy. We have a wonderfully vibrant community of families that nurtures and supports our children. Our fabulous teachers are committed to challenging and guiding our young Einsteins. Ms. Snyder has worked very hard to ensure she has the support of the teachers and parents, listening to all of us and enhancing areas with her ideas and attention to detail (if you have a suggestion or concern I strongly encourage you to talk with her directly). The PTO has many dedicated parents involved who have accomplished amazing things so far, from exceeding fund raising goals, to hosting social activities, to administering enhancements to the curriculum, to many other positive influences.

Looking forward, I'm excited at all that is in store for the remainder of the school year. There will be many enhancements to the curriculum enabled by parent contributions. An Art Appreciation program begins to ramp up, created by Ms. Stabnik in conjunction with the PTO. The PTO will continue to evaluate after-school programming and consider ways to improve it. Family socials events will be offered, including the upcoming ski trip! We will continue to pursue community and environmental awareness programs. Lots to look forward to.

Enjoy the winter break and I look forward to seeing everyone in January!

Warm Regards,

Matthew McKay
Sprague PTO President

Sprague Family Ski Trip Update

Sprague Family Ski Trip at Sunday River, ME - February 6-8, 2015 

Over 100 people already confirmed!

Now added:  Friday night meet-and-greet welcome bash at Sliders Restaurant at Jordan Grand Hotel, 7-10pm on balcony, come by after your drive to mingle with other Spraguers.

Reserve your seats for the Saturday evening (Feb 7th) Family Dinner DJ Dance Party with Adults and Kids buffets/Contests/Photo Booth/DJ/Dancing/Fun

Purchase dinner tickets at: http://www.spragueschool.org/events-clubs/social/family-ski

Any questions? 

Contact Jennifer Vernazza or Michelle Walsh at spragueskitrip@gmail.com

Around Town

Everyone’s invited to celebrate

Martin Luther King’s Birthday!

MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2015      

11:30am to 1:30pm       

Pizza, carrots and dessert

Wellesley Community Center, 219 Washington Street, Wellesley

Interactive MLK activities planned for all ages   

RSVP TO: Michelle Chalmers, moh23321@aol.com         

                                     

SPONSORED BY: 

THE WORLD OF WELLESLEY AND THE WELLESLEY COMMUNITY CENTER         

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Save the Date!

Please join Wellesley Parents Supporting Art Students, (WPSAS), for an Open House Potluck Dinner for parents & anyone interested in supporting the visual arts in our school community on Friday January 23, 2015, 6-9pm, at the home of the Manning Family. There will also be someone from the Mass. Cultural Council to speak about STEAM. More info. to follow soon.

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DOUBLE YOUR DONATION TO WELLESLEY EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Donate Now  

During this Season of Giving, please consider a gift to WEF, and your donation will be doubled through the Board of Directors matching grant.  The WEF Board has pledged to match any type of donation this December dollar for dollar, up to $20,000.  Please consider a tax-deductible donation to WEF before the end of the year!  Donations made by12/31 are tax-deductible in 2014.   Click here for all donation options.  http://www.wellesleyeducationfoundation.org/donate.php

Follow WEF on Facebook and hear all about WEF’s Fall grant awards!   

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Yes! Just in time for your holiday shopping a One-of-A-Kind, Exclusive, Silent Auction.  Simply scan the QR Code below, or click on the link below, and you will be taken to the WHS Art Department Trip Scholarship Fundraiser web page where you can view 26 breathtaking, student photographs taken on our 2014 Exploring Central Europe trip. Each photograph will be sold to the highest bidder. Just follow the directions on the web page to bid or to make a donation. All funds raised will be used to establish a Travel Scholarship to help make the annual art trip accessible to all Wellesley High School Students. All 26 photographs are on display in the WHS Cafeteria.  

Upcoming Dates

Wednesday, December 24th 2014 - Friday, January 2nd 2015
Year end Vacation

Monday, January 5th 2015
School

Friday, January 9th 2015
Walk to School Day
9:00 PTO Board Meeting in Cafeteria

Sprague PTO Update

What a week! The Cookie Walk was a roaring success! 

Elizabeth Young absolutely knocked the cover off the ball this year. The event brought us together as a community in a fun and energetic atmosphere. The set-up was beautiful and engaging (I loved the historical photos from around town), and the programming was fun and entertaining (my girls raved about David Hall, the magician). 

The financial numbers are not final quite yet, but suffice to say we significantly exceeded our revenue and profit target for the event. These funds will go towards enhancing the Sprague experience for our children. Thank-you Elizabeth for all of the hard work. You not only put together a phenomenal event, but you also created a plan for how the Cookie Walk can continue to be successful for future years.

This event was successful because of a lot of hard work from many people. I encourage you to read through and personally thank as many of the people as possible. Also, please let me know if I have forgotten to thank someone.

A strong leader always has a strong team behind them and Elizabeth was no exception. Thank-you Julie Knudson, Bram Young, Julia de Peyster, Jill Fischmann, Melissa Martin, Jenn Fallon, Jenn Yu, Aileen Russell and Marissa Rosenbaum, and anyone else who pitched in behind the scenes to help Elizabeth. All of you are amazing and Sprague is so much better because of all your effort.

Thank-you Julia de Peyster for helping to administer the raffle (results announced Monday). This was a significant under-taking given the volume of tickets bought. Processing all the raffle entry forms submitted prior to the Cookie Walk took an all-out effort on the part of Julia. Your positive 'can-do' approach is inspiring and you always bring an element of fun to all that you do.

Of course the Cookie Walk required a great deal of thought and coordination concerning funding and payment collection. Thank-you Melissa Martin and Jill Fischmann for all the effort you put into planning and coordinating the handling of money. Your calm demeanor and willingness to stay late to ensure all the funds were properly accounted for at the end was huge.

Another huge job was pulling together all the people to help set-up, support and clean-up the event. Thank-you Aileen Russell for coordinating all the volunteers for the event. People who stepped up to help out at the event included Marissa Rosenbaum, Wade Ju, Jen Bowers, Jennifer Yu, Jenn Fallon, Carrie Reepmeyer, Betsey Weintraub, Eileen Brackenbury, Becca Cahaly, Nur Hamzaogullari, DD Marcoux, Annie Newman, Joanne Hinchley, Michelle Frost, Kirsten Stevenson, Eunice Groark, Jean Walsh, Andrea Scampini, Cindy Shorris, Maura Miele, Angie Gakidis, Phyllis Theerman, Sue Maggioni, Mason Smith, and Marie Schiller. 

Thank-you Jenn Fallon for coordinating the cookie production and room parent communications. Thank-you Claire van der Elst for helping to get the word out about baking, volunteers and event details. Thank-you to all the parents who baked cookies for the Cookie Walk! We ended up with about the perfect number of cookies and your festive wrapping helped elevate the atmosphere of the event.

Thank-you Kate Naughton for organizing the Spirit Shop for the event. The PTO made a healthy profit and now all of us can show our Sprague spirit with pride. Helping Kate pull off this amazing feat were Dulcey Connon, Lisa Neighbors, Susie Ellis, Janet Goujiamanis, Amy Chase, Jennifer Voldins, Jacqie Stathis, and Carolyn Carroll. Thank-you to all of you for volunteering your time and effort in support of the school!

Thank-you Carrie Reepmeyer and Karyn DeVito for working out the best possible solution for the METCO students so that they could participate as much as possible.

Thank-you Sprague PTO Board and all the parents who attended the planning meetings. Your thoughtful input helped fine-tune the event and ensure its success.

Thank-you Ms. Snyder for your support in helping to plan the event, as well as during the Cookie Walk. Your willingness to help coordinate the usage of the school was a huge help.

Thank-you to the custodians, Mr. Grady, Mr. Carter and Mr. Glorioso, for supporting the set-up and clean up of the Cookie Walk. It was a lot more work for you and we really appreciated your thoughtful and positive engagement. 

Thank-you Mr. Hagar-McKee for the music, explanation on how to set-up the sound system, and the music stands. Thank-you Ms. Stabnick for having your students create the back drop for the Photo Booth. Thank-you to all the teachers who provided easels from their classrooms for displaying the posters from the Wellesley Historical Society during the Cookie Walk.

Thank-you Ms. Webb for taking pity on a hungry father during the set-up of the event. The sandwich was delicious and the apple you gave me from the cafeteria tasted like it came from the Hesperides themselves!

Thank-you Wellesley High School Key Club for adding much needed man hours for the event. 

Finally, thank-you WCCC for your flexibility during the event. 

Everyone played their role beautifully and it showed big time during the event. As you can see, this was an enormous undertaking that Elizabeth and her team orchestrated. Again, thank-you Elizabeth for creating a memorable Cookie Walk experience for all of us!

Warm Regards,

Matthew McKay
Sprague PTO President

Sprague Spirit Shop

SPRAGUE SPIRIT SHOP

Sunday 12/14, is the LAST day to order before Christmas for the items either that we have run out of, or are order only (Performance Sweatshirts, Flannel PJ Bottoms).  Everything else on the order form is in stock.

Complete this order form and email to kate.naughton@verizon.net   Cash or Check made out to the Sprague PTO.  Put cash or check in envelope marked PTO/Spirit Shop in PTO mailbox in school office.
T-shirts, Sweatshirts, Flannel PJ Bottoms, Water Bottles, Magnets, Stickers, Pens, and Pencils!!!!!!!!!!

Around town

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WELLESLEY EDUCATION FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES BOARD OF DIRECTORS MATCHING CHALLENGE

Double your donation with a gift to WEF this December

For the second year, the WEF Board of Directors has pledged to match all donations to WEF during the Season of Giving (month of December).  This year, the Board has collectively pledged to match any type of donation this December dollar for dollar, up to $20,000.  Please consider a tax-deductible donation to WEF during this Season of Giving and double your donation!  We are gratefully accepting transfers of stock, which may be an attractive giving option for those with appreciated securities (details available on the WEF website).  Donations made by12/31 are tax-deductible in 2014.  Thank you and enjoy this beautiful season.  Click here for all donation options.  

http://www.wellesleyeducationfoundation.org/donate.php

Please also  like WEF on Facebook. Facebook followers will be among the first to hear about WEF’s Fall grant awards during our 12 days of grants announcements!

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Wellesley Little League offers baseball and softball programs from 

Kindergarten through 8th grade. Games begin in late April and run through mid-June.For questions, please email Ann@admin.wellesleylittleleague.org

Visit wellesleylittleleague.org to register.

__________

Wednesday, December 17, 1:00p.m.

Join us on Wednesday, December 17 at 1:00 p.m. for a jazz concert by Council on Aging (COA) volunteers Kevin Cho and Josh Gilbert. These two talented musicians have a long history of playing together and they look forward to their premiere performance at the COA. Light refreshments will be served. Please contact the COA, 781-235-3961 to RSVP. This concert will be held at the Wellesley Community Center, 219 Washington Street, Wellesley.

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Excerpts of the Nutcracker

Monday, December 29, 2:00p.m.

The Wellesley Council on Aging (COA)  welcomes back the  very talented members of Methuen Ballet Ensemble to perform excerpts of The Nutcracker. Ballerinas will guide you through the Land of Sweets in Tchaikovsky’s second act of the holiday classic. FREE! All are welcome. Light refreshments will be provided. Please call the COA, 781-235-3961 to RSVP. This performance will be held at the Wellesley Community Center, 219 Washington Street, Wellesley.

Sprague PTO Update

'Twas the night before the Walk, when all through the school

Not a student was stirring, for it was a rule;

Their work was displayed in the hallways with care,

In hopes that their parents soon would be there...

Dear Sprague Community,

We're in the home stretch for the Sprague Cookie Walk, when families share their ancestral cookie recipes and we come together as a community to wonder at the energy level of sugar-infused children. This year you will notice a few different twists to the Cookie Walk. Elizabeth Young, with the aid of her husband Bram, has updated the theme with new graphics, colors and theme. The theme is focused on our town and we hope you enjoy looking at the pictures displayed from the Wellesley Historical Society.

There will be more attractions at the Cookie Walk this year, including a magician, photo booth, cookie grams, and cupcake corner. We will also have the LINX dancers and Spirit Shop for your enjoyment. Thank-you Kate Naughton for pulling together the Spirit Shop in time for the Cookie Walk. I encourage you to look over the items that will be at the Spirit Shop and pre-order.

The items in the Cookie Walk raffle are incredible, with something for just about everybody. With thirty-five bundles there is a great chance for everybody to win something. You now have the chance to pre-order raffle tickets, as well as tickets to the David Hall magic show (scroll down form). By ordering ahead you are able to reduce your anxiety about buying the tickets the day of the event.

Given that we are widening the audience to the town of Wellesley, we expect more people to attend the event this year. Elizabeth and her team have spent many late nights planning for these changes and I am very excited to see everything she has worked on and to help out to make sure it is successful. Our central focus is on encouraging families to sign-up to bake cookies. We are stronger when many of us engage to support one another.

Lastly, we are making an effort to be considerate of the environment this year. Please read this message from our friendly environmental consultant.

Warm Regards,

Matthew McKay
Sprague PTO President

Sprague's Annual Cooke Walk

Sprague’s Annual Cookie Walk

The Ultimate Cookie Sale!

Thursday, December 11

2:30 to 5:30 PM

Sprague Gym

Calling All Sprague ♥ Families to Bake

3 to 6 Dozen Cookies

Package 6 Cookies Per Bag in Decorative Wrap

Click To Bake

You Bake'em & We'll Wrap'em

Wednesday, December 10 Thursday, December 11

Drop'em Off in Car Line From 8:10 to 8:40 AM

For $5 We'll Wrap'em All!

We've Invited...

P.A.W.S., 7 Elementary Schools, WMS, WHS

& The Town of Wellesley to our community event

...and We Hope You'll Invite Your Neighbors & Friends Too!

Event Information In This Packet

David Hall, House Magician

LINX Dancers

Wellesley Merchant Raffle

New Wellesley in Retro: A Photo Exhibit

New Cupcake Corner

New Cookie Grams

New Eric Barry’s Photo Booth

Sprague Spirit Shop

Beverages

Click To Voluneer

Questions?...Contact: Elizabeth Young

elizfit@me.com 781-223-6005

A Tiny Little Division of the Sprague PTO & ♥ Sprague H.E.A.R.T. Values

Reminder: Important vote on Tuesday

School parents and supporters are encouraged to vote YES for both questions 1 and 2 on the ballot in Tuesday’s town election.

Both ballot questions are for capital projects that are key elements of the town’s long-term facilities plan. Question 1 is for the much-needed renovations of Fiske and Schofield schools. Question 2 is to replace 280 windows at Wellesley Middle School.

Things to know:

• Both projects have been in the works for many years, and have been thoroughly vetted by a number of town boards, including School Committee, Advisory, the Board of Selectmen and the Permanent Building Committee. Both were approved overwhelmingly at Special Town Meeting in October.
• The renovations of Fiske and Schofield will replace 50-year-old systems and greatly extend the useful life of the buildings.
• The town has been looking to replace the WMS windows since the early 2000s. This year, the Wellesley schools were invited by the state to participate in a window replacement program that would allow for up to 31 percent reimbursement - more than $1 million - of the total cost.
• The League of Women Voters of Wellesley fully supports YES votes on both questions.

Yes for School Buildings 2014 asks you to please join us in supporting Wellesley’s long-term facilities plan and vote YES this Tuesday.

Questions? Visit yesforschoolbuildings.com or email yesforschoolbuildings@gmail.com. 

Around town

December Green Focus

Energy & Waste Reduction!!

Less is more…buy less: Instead of buying unneeded gifts consider giving the money to a worthy charity or sponsor a family in need. Bring reusable shopping bags for your gift purchases.

Buy/give greener: Buy gifts made from recycled materials and that don’t require batteries.

Reduce energy use: Use motion sensor lights, timers for heating system and LED lights.

Economize on wrapping: Use less wrapping paper (a huge source of paper waste and not recyclable), tie a bow around a box without wrapping it or use reusable holiday bags & boxes.   

Calling All Sprague Families to Bake

Upcoming Dates

Monday, December 1st

No school: Professional Day for teachers

Thursday December 4th

Walk to School Day

9:00 PTO meeting

Thursday December 11th

2:30 pm - 5:30 pm Sprague Cookie Walk  

Bugworks presentations for grade 3

Field trip to Museum of Fine Arts for grade 5

Walk to School Day – Thursday, December 4th

Thursday, December 4^th

Walk to School Day

The turnout has been awesome, so let’s not let the colder temps slow us down! 

If you are able to help staff the sign in tables on December 4^th, please email me (lizziemurillo@yahoo.com) or sign up via this Google doc: 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhkkL18k0t2-dEpKQjFiNEdubm9IMVFrVzJCT0JUUHc&usp=sharing

Sprague Team at Turkey Trot

Wellesley Turkey Trot 2014

 Sprague Team the Largest Team!

Thanks to all 50 children & parents 

from our Sprague community whom pariticipated 

and endured the bitter cold this year!

Around town

NEWS FROM WEF

As part of this year’s Season of Giving, the Wellesley Education Foundation is proud to be part of the movement to encourage giving on #GivingTuesday.  We are asking WPS parents to join in this movement and give to WEF on Dec. 2, and help make grants to Wellesley Public Schools possible!   Please consider making an online donation to WEF on #GivingTuesday or during the Season of Giving (through Dec. 31, 2014).  Thank you!

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The Wellesley Historical Society, in partnership with the Wellesley Community Center, is proud to announce its new family program series, “Winter Wednesdays”. 

Beginning December 4, each weekly program on Wednesday afternoons will feature a different historical topic presented in a hands-on, kid-friendly fashion. The program is free and open to the publc and more details can be found at www.wellesleyhistoricalsociety.org or by calling (781) 235-6690.

Sprague PTO Update

Dear Sprague Community,

Short school week, followed by a five-day break due to Thanksgiving on Thursday, no school on Friday, and a professional day for teachers on Monday. Don't be that parent who giddily shows up to Sprague on the Monday morning after Thanksgiving only to find out they have one more day of joyfully entertaining their children. (I'm not talking from experience, or anything...)

Time to walk-the-walk Sprague! In the spirit of the original Wellesley Cookie Exchange, the families of Sprague are asked to provide cookies to the Cookie Walk. We need cookies, lots and lots of cookies! Call up family and schedule a time together to bake. Invite over friends and make them together. Bake'em now and freeze them. Bake'em with the kids during the Thanksgiving break. Bake'em during the weekend before the Cookie walk. Make it fun, an excuse to spend time together with friends and family. The more love that goes into this community-building event, the more fun for everyone.

We're asking for at least three to six dozen per family, packaged in six cookies per bag. To ensure we will have enough cookies, please record how many cookies you will make in our exclusive cookie spreadsheet. (Thank-you Jenn Fallon for creating the sign-up sheet!)

One last point, Elizabeth Young has been working extremely hard organizing the Cookie Walk and pulling together volunteers. Her dedication, creativity and deep love for Sprague is inspiring to watch and support. Thank-you very much Elizabeth for all the hard work! Also, thank-you to everyone who has been supporting Elizabeth as she works through all the details of organizing the event. (Thank-you Aileen Farrell for creating the volunteer sign-up sheet) Sprague is very lucky to have so many families willing to roll-up their sleeves and help-out!

Have a great Thanksgiving and stay safe over the break!

Warm Regards,

Matthew McKay
Sprague PTO President

Cookie Walk - Calling All Sprague Families to Bake

Sprague’s Annual Cookie Walk

The Ultimate Cookie Sale!

 

Thursday, December 11

2:30 to 5:30 PM

Sprague Gym

Calling All Sprague ♥ Families to Bake

3 to 6 Dozen Cookies

Package 6 Cookies Per Bag in Decorative Wrap

Click to Bake

You Bake'em & We'll Wrap'em

Wednesday, December 10 Thursday, December 11

Drop'em Off in Car Line From 8:10 to 8:40 AM

For $5 We'll Wrap'em All!

We've Invited...

P.A.W.S., 7 Elementary Schools, WMS, WHS

& The Town of Wellesley to our community event

...and We Hope You'll Invite Your Neighbors & Friends Too!

Information Coming Soon!

David Hall, House Magician

LINX Dancers

Wellesley Merchant Raffle

New Cupcake Corner

New Cookie Grams

New Eric Barry’s Photo Booth

Click To Volunteer

Questions?...Contact: Elizabeth Young

elizfit@me.com 781-223-6005

A Tiny Little Division of the Sprague PTO & ♥ Sprague H.E.A.R.T. Values