Dear Sprague Community, 

WOOHOO! It’s Summer! 

Congratulations to all our 5th graders! You are moving on and if you are the last of your family to attend Sprague, you can officially ignore this email. Don’t forget to unsubscribe, or like me, you will continue to get these emails until your child is in high school. 

If you are interested in being a host family for an incoming or new Sprague family, please our social chairs, Karyn Devito and Andrea Scampini know. We want to be a welcoming community for these transitioning families and we need family volunteers.

Thank you to our PTO Board and all of our volunteers who make Sprague Elementary School such a wonderful community. 

Wishing you a safe, fun-filled summer with family and friends. 

Off to the beach! 

Kind regards,

Elaine Marten

Sprague PTO President

Summer Reading List 2015

The WPS Summer Reading List is now available online. This year’s list includes Picture Books, Beginning Chapter Books, Fiction Chapter Books, Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Poetry and Biographies. 

It is also linked to the Wellesley Free Library Catalog!

To access it, go to the Wellesley Summer Reading Page 

Students in Grades K-4 will receive a Bingo Form and a Summer Reading Bookmark with a link & QR code to this webpage.

If you need to print additional bingo forms, logs, or want a printable version of the Summer Reading List, go to the Sprague School Summer Reading page:

http://tinyurl.com/summerreadingpage

There are two different Bingo forms; one for those entering grades 1, 2 and 3, the other for those entering grades 4 and 5. We ask that you return this form to his/ her newteacher at the beginning of the school year. Students who complete five bingo boxes in a row will be entered into a raffle.

If you would like a paper copy of the list, a limited quantity will be available in the office. We also send copies to the Wellesley Free Library, Wellesley Books and Barnes and Noble.

A hearty thanks to the Sprague Community for the all the support you’ve given the library throughout the school year. By supplementing the book budget and volunteering during library classes, you have enriched our program immeasurably. We’d also like to thank Maura Meile for coordinating the Remember Me book donation program once again!

Happy Reading to all,

Ellen Mandel & Samantha Gradwohl

Sprague Gardeners

Volunteer your family for one week over the summer to care for our Sprague Garden. 

Your family will be responsible for watering, gathering produce and general care of the garden for the week. 

If your family can help, sign up HERE! We will contact you to confirm assigned dates. 

June Green Focus – keep the GREEN going this summer

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Locker Cleanout/Greenout - have your kids bring home whatever can be used from their lockers next year such as binders, pens, pencils, rulers, calculators and put it away for reuse in the fall.  Or donate them to a worthy cause for their re-use.

BYOB – bags and bottles, that is. Now that the Wellesley RDF isn’t taking plastic bags it is more important than ever to use reusable grocery bags instead of the store’s disposable plastic bags.  And keep hydrated this summer but avoid using disposable water bottles whenever possible…just keep refilling your reusable one!

Walk or bike if you can – in the awesome summer weather, leave the car at home and walk or bike to do that errand or to the pool. And definitely turn off your engine whenever possible.

Buy local & support the Wellesley Farmers Market – don’t miss the tasty and fresh foods at the Wellesley Farmer’s Market Saturdays 10am-2pm at 309 Washington Street.

Small changes make a big difference so thanks for all your continued efforts and have a great summer!

Wednesday, June 17th
Full day!!

9:00am Band, Orchestra, and Grade 5 Choral Concert (Parents invited)

Thursday, June 18th

9:00am Grade 5 Farewell Assembly (Families invited)

Friday, June 19th

Last day of school--half day!!

Support the Perdoni Familly Fund this Tuesday

Save the date for rock like Mike

On January 20th, 2015 the Wellesley community lost one of its members to a horrific act of gun violence. Dr. Michael J Davidson was a brilliant surgeon and innovator, devoted family man, talented musician and wonderful friend. His death affected us all.

Please save the date for Rock Like Mike, a night of music to remember Michael on September 26th, 2015 at the Paradise Rock club in Boston. The program will feature local bands and celebrity emcee David Wade. 

Tickets go on sale this summer. Proceeds will go to the Davidson Family Fund.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. If interested, please visit www.rocklikemike.com or call Shira at 617-620-0175
Sign up for our mailing list at www.rocklikemike.com.

Dates

Monday, June 15th

8:15am Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast

Wednesday, June 17th
Full day!!

9:00am Band, Orchestra, and Grade 5 Choral Concert (Parents invited)

Thursday, June 18th

9:00am Grade 5 Farewell Assembly (Families invited)

Friday, June 19th

Last day of school--half day!!

Dear Sprague Community,

5 more days left! It’s been a wonderful week with many events. I’ve enjoyed meeting new families and seeing all the smiling faces from the picnic to field day. 

My boys have definitely had fun with hearing their mom being called "The President". I had failed to mention this term to them.  This news created great excitement at our house as they somehow thought that meant that I could make all the rules at school. Well, not so much.

During Field Day this week (my fav), I watched as teachers, aides and parents supported ALL of our students. I saw our kids cheer each other on and everyone work to solve problems as they came up in a kind and gentle way. 

I also saw Mrs. Fiore run with her feet in buckets, Mr. McManus class cheer him on as he raced while trying not to spill water and aides hold hands and run together to integrate children. 

One thought I had was that this was not just about movement but about seeing each other in a different space. Maybe even a vulnerable space, the same as some children may feel in the classroom. In the end, even when hot and tired, there was good all around and people helping and supporting one another. That’s Sprague Spirit! I told you, I LOVE Field Day. 

Exciting news, thank you to Patty Javidi and Erica Meyers for stepping up to fill the Treasures position for the PTO next year. This is a behind the scenes job that is highly involved. We appreciate their support and are grateful to have them. The PTO will finalize this position with a vote in the fall. 

I’ve had the privilege through the years to watch as our community has rallied behind families through illness or loss. Our strength often shines during these times. We’ve added below two community events coming up that support the Joe Perdoni Family Trust Fund and another for the Davidson Family Fund. Our hearts go out to both of these families. 

Many have asked how I feel about taking on the PTO this year.  I thought how fitting that this weekend, after taking on this role, I’m hiking Mt. Washington. Somehow, the PTO role kinda feels like a yes to hiking Mt. Washington. You check your gear, study the trail, keep up your fitness and keep checking the weather. We have a great school and a great team of parents with lots of heart and Sprague spirit. The weather is looking good. Will it be easy? Not always, but I feel up to the challenge. I hope you’ll join me. We have lots of ways to volunteer, support and get involved. 

5 days and the summer is all yours! 

Kind regards,

Elaine Marten

Sprague PTO President

_____________________________________

Field Day Success - Thank-You!!!

A global "Thank you" to the Sprague parent community! Specifically a hearty thank you for all the parents who volunteered to help run stations (over and over again!). A GIGANTIC thank you to the ARMY of volunteers who helped at 7am (that showing was unprecedented and made for a very smooth start) as well as the amazing group who came to help put it all away (many hands made for such light work!). Let's do it again next year!

 

- Ms. Flitsch

Thank You!

Thank you to Karyn Devito and Andrea Scampini for organizing the End-of-the-Year Picnic. Sam’s Hot Dog Cart and Italian Ice were a big hit. 

We have many books heading to children in need, thanks to our Book Drive. That’s showing our Sprague HEART! 

Thank you to Lisa Neighbors for such a wonderful idea to get our kids sharing and caring and many thanks to Jenn Friedman for her help and support for these events. 

Thanks to Kate Naughton, who so kindly sets up our Spirit Shop at many of our events to sell t-shirts, water bottles and more.

For helping set up and cleaning up after our school picnic, thank you, Rob Carter, Sprague custodian. 

A HUGE thank you to all our Ice SCOOPERS and all our VOLUNTEERS before, during and after Field Day. 

So many thank-yous at this time of year

Consider WEF’s Red Apple Program as a Meaningful Acknowledgement for all your children’s teachers and staff.

Let WEF make your gift giving process easy and meaningful.  

One visit our website and you will find all your children’s’ teachers, staff, aides, specialists in one drop down menu, conveniently organized by school.  Simply add staff members' names whom you’d love to honor into a master list, make your donation to WEF via the online payment system and the meaningful gift of dollars to improve our districts education excellence will be made in these honorees names.  

Each honoree will receive a magnet gift as well as an e-Card from your family and you will be supporting the leading Wellesley organization making meaningful grants to our educators – grants that impact the entire district year after year.  

Thank you for your generosity to WEF and your support of our wonderful teachers.