If you have an entry for Monday Minutes or committe related flyers

please submit them via e-mail it to

SargentPTO.Communications@gmail.com

by 5PM Friday

Calendar – Full View

Presidents' Message

Thank you so much to Mr. Ruzicka, Shannon Hassell and their team of volunteers for all their hard work in creating another successful Art Fair. Also, thank you to Zora Warren for helping coordinate the ice cream/slushie social and to all the parents and teachers who volunteered to help scoop. We reallly appreciate all your help....we couln't do it without you!!!

The 5th grade suitcase drive for Suitcases 4 Kids was a huge success. Thank you to the entire 5th grade Empathy Team, headed by Pam Sitak,Doreen Sidell, Jen Mahoney-Goland, Sue Huggins and Ron Nickerson for their hard work coordinating the drive. They did a great job. So did the 5th grade students that got the suitcases from the donors and helped clean and sort the suitcases for pick up to be used by local foster agencies. Many 5th grade parents were on hand to help the process too! Thank you to everyone involved and to the many Sargent families who donated their gently used suitcases and backpacks.

This week is Staff Appreciation Week. Doreen Sidell and Laura Freedman have been working hard to coordinate breakfasts each morning for our wonderful staff and a luncheon for them on Wednesday. Also, the students have been working on projects to thank their teachers and all the entire Sargent staff for their hard work here at Sargent.

This Wednesday is a 1/2 day. We have Walk to School Day.....try and walk to school with your students that day. If you can't walk from home, consider parking at Reynolds and walking from there.

Also, Wednesday is our May PTO meeting at 7pm. We will have our PTO board elections for 2012/2013 school year as well as having North Andover's new town manager, Andrew Maylor there to speak at 7:30pm. Please come by to hear all his great ideas for North Andover!!!

Agenda for May 2nd PTO Meeting:

• 7pm President's Message
• 7:05pm PTO board elections for 2012/2013
• 7:15pm Vote to increase budget for Spring 2012 Ice Cream/Slushie Social
• 7:20pm Principal's Message
• 7:30pm Special Guest - Andrew Maylor, North Andover Town Manager
• 8:00pm Secretaries' Report - Minutes read and approved from April Meeting
• 8:05pm Treasurer's Report
• 8:10pm New Business

Reminder this is the last PTO meeting of the year June PTO meeting is exec board only Have a great week!!!

Chris and Melissa

School Happenings

North Andover Parents Advisory Council for Children with Special Needs (NAPAC)

This FREE workshop is for any child with an IEP or that has trouble taking tests. Find out what the difference between passing and failing the MCAS once you are in the 10th grade. It could be the difference between a Certificate of Completion versus a Diploma!

MCAS – Access and Achievement for Students with Disabilities: The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) is a tool to measure progress in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks or general curriculum. This workshop will help parents understand how their children with disabilities can participate in MCAS in a meaningful way to demonstrate what they have learned. Discussion will include standard and non-standard accommodations and alternate assessments.

• Admission is free, and all are welcome
• Where: Annie L. Sargent Elementary 
• When: Monday, May 7 What time: 7pm-9pm

Please email Jean Willoughby with any questions about the workshop at: Jeanwillo@gmail.com.

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities

Hall Monitors needed for MCAS Testing:   Dr. Foster has asked us to find volunteers to monitor the second floor hallway outside of the bathrooms during the MCAS testing.  Shifts are only 1.5 hours in length.  If you can avoid it, please do not sign up on a day that your child is testing as you are not allowed to speak to them during testing.  To take a shift (they coincide with the dates above for March and May), please sign up here:  http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/1102345632373510044.   More information will follow for people who sign up to cover a shift.  Thank you!

Committee Announcements

Garden Committee

A huge thanks goes out to those families who came out over April vacation to help get the beds ready for planting: the Hale family, Hearst family, Bullock family, and Agosti family. The committee also wants to give shout outs to those local businesses that donated goods and time to our effort: Peter Breen and the Andover Flower Farm. The teachers have already started putting the garden to good use, so the biggest thanks goes to them and to the Sargent students for making it worthwhile. We’re planning to do a bit more work during the Spring clean-up so mark your calendars for more time gardening. We might even be able to munch on some fresh lettuce and radishes while we work.

Beautification/Landscaping Committee

Sargent School SPRING CLEANUP SATURDAY, MAY 19TH.  As part of the Building Respectful Communities and R.A.I.S.E (Respect, Achievement, Inclusion, Service, and Empathy) initiative, Sargent families are asked to help us show Respect for our school by giving Service to it. On Saturday, May 19th, from 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., we will have our annual Spring Cleanup at the Sargent School. We will plant seasonal flowers, pick up litter and sticks, pull weeds, rake leaves, spread mulch, and clear fallen trees and brush from our outdoor curriculum area (“Woodland Study Area”). Please come prepared with work gloves, rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows, cultivators/weeding tools, clippers/loppers, and any other favorite yard tools. Donations of annual and perennial flowers are also appreciated. As a thank you for your time and efforts, pizza will be served to volunteers at the end of the cleanup.  

Staff Appreciation Committee

Staff Appreciation Week will be held this year from Monday, April 30th through Friday, May 4th. Gifts and cards will be made in the classrooms for the staff members.

The PTO will be hosting a staff breakfast on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; and a luncheon on Wednesday. Please click on the link below to sign up to bring a food item on one of those days. Thank you!! http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/402345633860894078

Fifth Grade Committee

Empathy Team:  THANK YOU to the 39 students and 22 parents who took the time on a busy Saturday to collect, clean, sort, stuff and tag 924 suitcases and assorted bags for Suitcases 4 Kids. Thank you also to all those who donated suitcases and bags. Your participation in Sargent's First Ever Fifth Grade Empathy Event made it a tremendous success!

Community Announcements/After School Programs

Check the community announcements for more information on:

• Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Improvement Meeting - April 30th, 2012 7:00pm Town Hall
• Giving Tree Mother Day Donations accepted until April 30th
• Attkinson PTO Mother/Son Jammin Fun Dance May 4th & 5th.  Tickets available online now
• Music Association Hosts 5K Race - May 12th
• North Andover Booster Club - Cheer, Football, Boys Volleyball, Field Hocky and Track & Field
• North Andover Garden Club - May 20th Plant Sale