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Saturday, January 10, 2015

Sprague PTO Update

Dear Sprague Community,
 
Rusticity's ungainly form 
May cloud the highest mind; 
But when the heart is nobly warm, 
The good excuse will find. 

Propriety's cold, cautious rules 
Warm fervour may o'erlook: 
But spare poor sensibility 
Th' ungentle, harsh rebuke. 
- Robert Burns - On Sensibility, 1786

Forgive my Scottish indulgence, I offer this poem after eating haggis and drinking Scotch to celebrate Robbie Burns Day.

The final numbers for Cookie Walk were presented at the PTO Board meeting. This year the net income goal was exceeded by over $2,200! (Which does not include Spirit Shop) Thank-you again to everyone who helped out and to Elizabeth Young for her leadership this year. We would love to identify a person or team for Cookie Walk next year (Many hands will help lighten the load). Elizabeth is happy to go over her plans while they are still fresh in her head.

A new social event was added for the end of January. The Bar Method has generously offered a complimentary private class on Thursday January 29 at 8p for anyone within Sprague who is interested. This is a great opportunity to hang out with friends, work off the holidays, and try out something new.

It is not too late to sign-up for the Ski Trip (see below). We have thirty-three families attending so far and the schedule put together by Jennifer Vernazza and Michelle Walsh promises a great time for all.

Parking has been an issue lately, we know. A lively discussion broke-out during the PTO board meeting about the topic. Our school has almost a hundred more students attending it than when it was originally opened, and we appear near gridlock (or worse) if solutions are not found. Ms. Snyder suggested we have the Wellesley Police come in and study the traffic patterns and usage in order to develop the most effective solution. Elaine Marten has also been proactive about discussing the matter with DPW concerning School Bus vans parked in our lot. Hopefully between these two efforts we will find a solution to ease the congestion.

In the meantime, we ask all parents to be patient and adhere to a few rules in order to improve safety and hopefully lower frustration levels:

(1) Do not wait in the car line if your child is a walker. This extends the car line well into the back parking lot and creates congestion for people trying to get into car line and into the back parking lot to park.
(2) Use the back parking lot. It is a longer walk, but ultimately much safer.
(3) Do not park other cars in, even if you think you'll be '30 seconds.' It creates congestion and traps families trying to exit.
(4) Do not double park next to car line and wait for your walker. It is very dangerous for children to walk between cars in car line, plus you are blocking a lane of traffic towards the exit.
(5) Do not park in the bus circle. Even after the initial buses leave, other buses are using that circle and parked cars congest the area.
(6) Park only in designated spaces. Do not park in lanes of traffic next to the curb, or in handicap spaces (unless authorized). 
(7) Be Patient. Be Courteous. Remember we have little ones running around who can be unpredictable and difficult to see from the drivers seat of a car.

The issue is being addressed. Please be patient as solutions are discussed. Thank-you!

Warm Regards,
Matthew McKay

Sprague PTO President

Shape-up with Complimentary Class at The Bar Method

Join us for a Night Out at the Bar--The Bar Method that is! 

Take a complimentary private class with your friends from Sprague Elementary and stay afterward to chat and relax over a glass of Prosecco. Our New Client Special (30 days of unlimited classes) will be available to purchase at a special rate of $85 (regularly $100) and 25% of sales will be donated to Sprague. Please bring socks and wear pants below the knee. 


Date/Time:  Thursday 1/29 -- 8:00 p.m.




What The Bar Method is:

The Bar Method is a fun, one-hour, full-body workout that burns fat and carves muscle. Our classes are fast-paced and set to motivating, popular music; they combine the principles of isometrics, interval training and dance conditioning to first fatigue your muscles and then lengthen them out with deep stretches while they are still warm and pliable. Sculpted arms, flat abs, a lifted seat and elongated thighs are a few of the major benefits! 


Location:
66 Central Street, Suite 16
Wellesley, MA 02482
[Entrance to the studio is beneath the black awning that reads "66 Central" on Central Street or through the glass door that reads "The Bar Method Exercise Studio" on Church Street. Our studio is on the second floor.]

For more information:

Walk to School Day – Tuesday, January 13th

The next Walk to School Day is this Tuesday, January 13th!  
Bundle up and join us!

If any parents are able to help out at the sign in tables, please send me an email (lizziemurillo@yahoo.com).

Sprague family Ski trip- February 6-8

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


Any questions? 

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

White Aprons would like to WALK back


Two white aprons did not make their way back to the PTO closet after the COOKIE WALK.
If you happen to have one, please drop it off in the PTO box in the office.
THANKS

Around Town


Sprague Green Team
A few tips on staying green in 2015! 
New year, new resolutions! Are you cleaning out closets and clutter this January?  
Please help us take textiles out of landfills by simply donating and recycling what you buy and wear when no longer useful. Consider that the U.S. EPA estimates that textile waste occupies nearly 5% of all landfill waste and that the average US citizen throws away 70 pounds of clothing annually! So, donate your goods and know that your efforts
not only create a much-needed source of revenue for nonprofits, but also continue the sustainable practice of recycling second hand clothing.


And while we know it sure is cold out there...
Please remember that 
Massachusetts General Law (MGL) Chapter 90, Section 16A PROHIBITS idling around school buildings. It's cold out there, but please turn your engine off whenever possible.

Thank you! 
__________

Wellesley Historical Society and Wellesley Community Center’s 
“Winter Wednesdays” 
will feature Revolutionary War reenactor Tom Dietzel on Wednesday, January 14 from 1-3 (program is drop-in so families don’t have to stay the entire time). Kids can interact with Tom and learn about what soldiers wore, where they slept, what they ate, and much more! Program is free and takes place at the community center, 219 Washington Street. For more info call (781) 235-6690 or visit  www.wellesleyhistoricalsociety.org

__________
Calling all 5th grade parents!  
The Wellesley Teen Center is looking for one parent representative from each elementary school to join the leadership team and ensure the future of the Teen Center for our 5th graders and middle schoolers.  

The Teen Center is a parent run, self funded organization  which provides Wellesley youth (public and private schools and children bused to WPS) with a safe, recreational environment. The Teen Center runs a 5th grade only dance in May and 3 other dances for grades 6-8 throughout the school year.   

If we are unable to recruit volunteers, the Teen Center may have to wind down its operations.

Please consider this low commitment, high impact volunteer opportunity.  

To learn more, contact Lisa Jones at wellesleyteencenter@gmail.com

____________
Dear Parents of 3rd and 4th Grade Girls,
Wellesley Youth Lacrosse Club Spring 2015 registration is still open. But time is running out to secure your daughter a spot on a 3rd/4th grade team. We typically see a great number of new players in this age group. Each year, many girls come home begging to join up the last week of March/first week of April when we begin our season when they hear about all the fun their friends are having.  While we do our best to welcome all girls who want to join at this age group, you can imagine that delivering an excellent experience for all the girls is made more difficult by this last minute rush. Please consider talking to your daughter now about playing and register her ASAP.

Almost everyone is brand new to the game, especially in 3rd grade. We focus on fun and good sportswomanship, while teaching skills and game fundamentals along the way.  Our teams are all balanced - there is no stratification of skill - and the girls have a wonderful time learning from each other on assigned teams.  We practice all together as one age group which adds a lot of fun (and makes carpooling easier!).  The 3/4s play "small sided" lacrosse which allows better mastery of skills on a field size they can handle with modified rules for safety and shared involvement.

Practices for 3/4s are Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 at the Wellesley High School Stadium.  We play in a travel league with games on Sundays, in Wellesley and Founders Girls Lacrosse League member towns.  There is no set time on Sundays for games.  We play a 7 game season and the season runs the beginning of April through the 2nd or 3rd week of June, ending with a Jamboree which is always great fun.  The exact schedule will be published later – there are no games over Easter weekend and the first of the public school vacation weekends.  Weather permitting, we will begin practice the last week of March and first games will be April 12.

Tuition is $225.  Uniforms are included in the fee.  All players need a youth size stick (+/-$50), googles, a mouth guard, and spandex shorts for wearing under uniform "kilt".  All players must have active USLacrosse membership ($25) through 6/17/2015, you will be directed to their site as part of the registration process at WYLC.  Scholarships are available.

The late registration fee will be waived for first time players, if you register before Monday, January 12th.  After that, the $25 late fee will apply.

Please go to www.wellesleylacrosse.org to register.  Girls in grades 1st -8th who reside in Wellesley or attend a school in Wellesley are eligible to play town lacrosse. 

Note: 1st/2nd Grade Registration will remain open until the start of the season. The 1st and 2nd grade program is an in-town program and they do not travel.  The 1st/2nd Graders play one time a week on the weekend.  Space is also still available in our 5/6 and 7/8 program.

Lastly, We NEED volunteers, especially in our entry level programs.   Volunteer opportunities include coaches, assistant coaches, and team managers and there is no prerequisite for lacrosse experience.  We will find a place to use your skills, whatever they may be.  There is an opportunity to sign up as a volunteer when you register your daughter.  We will have approximately 400 girls playing lacrosse and volunteers make the program run.

We will provide updated information as it becomes available on the website and by email once you are registered.  

Please contact us with any questions:

Bill Sparks, 3/4 Age Group Coordinator, at pedigasdoc@gmail.com

Chrissie Lawrence, Girls Programs Coordinator, at chrissielawrence@verizon.net

Donna Dewire, Registrar, at dtlax@comcast.net

Women's Lacrosse is a beautiful and exciting game!  We hope your daughter will join us this spring!

Chrissie Lawrence
Wellesley Youth Lacrosse Club
781-820-1336
chrissielawrence@verizon.net

Thursday, January 8, 2015

NO -Walk To School Day - January 9th

Given that forecast, the Walk to School Day will be postponed until 
Tuesday, January 13th 


Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Upcoming Dates

Friday, January 9th 2015
Walk to School Day
9:30 PTO Board Meeting in Cafeteria

Monday, January 19th 2015

NO SCHOOL Martin Luther King Day

Sprague PTO Update

Dear Sprague Community,

Hope you enjoyed the winter break. Our household had a little bit of everything; family, friends, skiing, cross-country skiing, and flying on a giant golden eagle... Never done that? If you're not worried about liabilities, it is an excellent way to send your children flying (literally) up in the air on a rope attached to the wings while you (the responsible parent) pull down on a rope attached to the wooden eagle's body. Let's just say winter activities in Quebec are a little more freestyle. Although it was probably a good thing we discovered the Bailey's option for hot chocolate after riding the eagle.

Great to see everybody back at school. Kids are excited to see friends and parents are over-joyed to have their days returned to them. On Friday we have Walk to School to celebrate nose icicles, followed by the PTO Board meeting at 9:30 in the cafeteria. We are starting the board meeting a little later than usual because of the school assembly that morning in the gym. At the board meeting we will go over the final numbers for the Cookie Walk (which were awesome!), discuss the Ski Trip (February 6-8), and go over the fund raising calendar for the remainder of the school year, among other items.

As a reminder, board meetings are open to everyone. If you are curious, we would love to see you.

Warm Regards,

Matthew McKay
Sprague PTO President


Wellesley PAC





Thursday, January 15, 2015
7:00 – 8:30 pm,
Wellesley Middle School Library
There will be a short meet and greet prior to the start of the meeting. No RSVP required! 


Sibling Groups: Fostering Camaraderie and Connection 
Olivia von Ferstel, Selene Aguayo-Gisholt, and Bridget Glenshaw, co-facilitators of Sibling Groups, a series of support groups designed to help siblings of children with special needs, will be discussing their work and the unique lens these children bring to this complex relationship. The perspective of the sibling and the need for camaraderie, the use of the expressive arts, and fostering positive connections between parents and siblings will be highlighted. Selene, Bridget and Olivia are licensed Mental Health Counselors and Expressive Arts Therapists with extensive clinical experience at the Community Therapeutic Day School in Lexington, MA.


The book: Sibling Group Lends a Helping Hand: A Guide to Facilitating Support Groups for Siblings of Children with Special Needs, 

co-authored by Bridget and Olivia, will also be featured and is available on Amazon.com.



Sprague Family Ski Trip - Feb 6-8th

It’s not too late to join the Sprague Family Ski Trip - Feb 6-8th!
Hotel rooms are still available and group rate has been extended until January 13th  . There is also plenty of space for everyone at the Saturday night dinner. Over 30 families have already signed up and it’s sure to be a memorable night.
For more information and to reserve your seats for the dinner, go to the PTO website Ski Trip page:  https://sites.google.com/site/spragueschoolwellesleyma/events-clubs/social/family-ski
Contact Jen Vernazza or Michelle Walsh with any questions about the weekend.

Around town



Wellesley Youth Commission 2015 Summer Program Registration begins January 1st!

The Wellesley Youth Commission is pleased to announce the registration for their 2015 Summer Programs begins January 1st.  All summer programs offered through the Wellesley Youth Commission are free and for Wellesley youth (residents) entering grades 6, 7, and 8 in fall of 2015.  Applicants may choose to apply to any of these summer exploration programs, and the participants will be chosen by lottery.

Youth can attend only one program per summer, please identify 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices appropriately.  For more information, please visitwww.wellesleyma.gov/youth
Fire Rescuers                       July 13-17, 2015             9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
WPD Youth Academy           August 3-7, 2015            9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Wellesley Media                   August 10-14, 2015        9:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Applications are available through the Youth Commission website at www.wellesleyma.gov/youth beginning January 1, 2015.

For additional information contact Maura Renzella, Youth Director at mrenzella@wellesleyma.gov
_____
Dear Parents of 3rd and 4th Grade Girls,
Wellesley Youth Lacrosse Club Spring 2015 registration is still open. But time is running out to secure your daughter a spot on a 3rd/4th grade team. We typically see a great number of new players in this age group. Each year, many girls come home begging to join up the last week of March/first week of April when we begin our season when they hear about all the fun their friends are having.  While we do our best to welcome all girls who want to join at this age group, you can imagine that delivering an excellent experience for all the girls is made more difficult by this last minute rush. Please consider talking to your daughter now about playing and register her ASAP.

Almost everyone is brand new to the game, especially in 3rd grade. We focus on fun and good sportswomanship, while teaching skills and game fundamentals along the way.  Our teams are all balanced - there is no stratification of skill - and the girls have a wonderful time learning from each other on assigned teams.  We practice all together as one age group which adds a lot of fun (and makes carpooling easier!).  The 3/4s play "small sided" lacrosse which allows better mastery of skills on a field size they can handle with modified rules for safety and shared involvement.


Practices for 3/4s are Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 at the Wellesley High School Stadium.  We play in a travel league with games on Sundays, in Wellesley and Founders Girls Lacrosse League member towns.  There is no set time on Sundays for games.  We play a 7 game season and the season runs the beginning of April through the 2nd or 3rd week of June, ending with a Jamboree which is always great fun.  The exact schedule will be published later – there are no games over Easter weekend and the first of the public school vacation weekends.  Weather permitting, we will begin practice the last week of March and first games will be April 12.


Tuition is $225.  Uniforms are included in the fee.  All players need a youth size stick (+/-$50), googles, a mouth guard, and spandex shorts for wearing under uniform "kilt".  All players must have active USLacrosse membership ($25) through 6/17/2015, you will be directed to their site as part of the registration process at WYLC.  Scholarships are available.


The late registration fee will be waived for first time players, if you register before Monday, January 12th.  After that, the $25 late fee will apply.


Please go to www.wellesleylacrosse.org to register.  Girls in grades 1st -8th who reside in Wellesley or attend a school in Wellesley are eligible to play town lacrosse. 


Note: 1st/2nd Grade Registration will remain open until the start of the season. The 1st and 2nd grade program is an in-town program and they do not travel.  The 1st/2nd Graders play one time a week on the weekend.  Space is also still available in our 5/6 and 7/8 program.


Lastly, We NEED volunteers, especially in our entry level programs.   Volunteer opportunities include coaches, assistant coaches, and team managers and there is no prerequisite for lacrosse experience.  We will find a place to use your skills, whatever they may be.  There is an opportunity to sign up as a volunteer when you register your daughter.  We will have approximately 400 girls playing lacrosse and volunteers make the program run.


We will provide updated information as it becomes available on the website and by email once you are registered.  


Please contact us with any questions:


Bill Sparks, 3/4 Age Group Coordinator, at pedigasdoc@gmail.com


Chrissie Lawrence, Girls Programs Coordinator, at chrissielawrence@verizon.net


Donna Dewire, Registrar, at dtlax@comcast.net


Women's Lacrosse is a beautiful and exciting game!  We hope your daughter will join us this spring!


Chrissie Lawrence

Wellesley Youth Lacrosse Club
781-820-1336

chrissielawrence@verizon.net