Flynn PTO Update 9/15/13

Hey There Flynn Families - Ask your kiddoes to tell you about the new play structures that were opened last week.  There has been great excitement about the giant twirly slide and the bongos are in constant use!  Better yet, make a trip over to Flynn over the weekend or after school to play on them yourself.  The next upgrade will be security cameras so we can better monitor our investment - we'll let you know when the cameras are up and running.  Have a great week!

Open House for grades 1,2 this Wednesday at 6pm.  Don't miss this opportunity to get a tour of the school, chat with your child's teacher, meet the kiddoes that your child is spending the day with and ask questions relating to Flynn school or your child. 


1st Principal's coffee of the schoolyear this Thursday at 8:30am.  Can you swing a half hour with the Principal?  Join Mr. Clarke and other Flynn parents for coffee/tea and a forum for finding out what's happening at Flynn and to get those nagging questions attended to...  Sign in at the office please!

Room Parents - It's not just a fancy title...  Dear Flynn Families,

Are you looking for a way to get involved in your child’s classroom and the Flynn community?  You should consider signing up to be a room parent.  The role of the room parents is to help out with and organize class parties, volunteer or recruit other volunteers to help out in the classroom and send snacks and supplies for parties, help to organize one teacher appreciation event with other grade level room parents,  and organize other tasks as needed in your child’s classroom.  Being a room parent is a great opportunity to get involved in your child’s education, help out the school and to get to know all of the wonderful Flynn staff and families.  Please consider signing up to be a room parent.  Look for the sign up sheets at open house in your child’s classroom or contact me directly.  I look forward to working with you this school year.   If you have questions please feel free to call me at 864-3886 or email me at lisaspurplepalace@gmail.com. 

Sincerely,
Lisa Tulkop, Room Parent/ Teacher Appreciation Coordinator

Bottle drive coming soon...  Hold on to your cans and bottles for our annual daylight savings bottle drive at Merola's.   When you drop your bottles at Merola's on the weekend of October 2/3, let them know that you would like the money to go to Flynn school.  Questions?  Contact Mary Mitchell at maryellemo1@hotmail.com


Box Tops are FREE money - what's not to love...    Hello Flynn Families,  The Flynn PTO will once again be collecting Box Tops for Education, Labels for Education (Campbells Soup Labels), and Hannaford Helps Schools certificates.  This is a short overview of each program, but if you have any questions please email me at denihaggerty@yahoo.com .    Denise Haggerty

 

 

1  BOX TOPS:  The website for box tops for education is http://www.boxtops4education.com/  Here you can read about the program and see what progress Flynn school is making during the year.  You can also find a list of products that Box Tops are on which include cereals, frozen foods, many paper products, and food items.   The box tops are usually pink but sometimes they are certificates, especially if you've bought something in bulk from a store like Costco.  Just cut them off the product and send them in to your child's teachers.  Sometimes it works easiest to have an small baggie at home to collect them in and then to send it in as it fills up.  There is a large box in the Flynn Library entrance to place them in- if you sent them in via your child's backpack, the teachers will know where to send them.  Last year we collected around 3,000 box tops and raised $300.  If you know of any family members or neighbors that can collect them for Flynn School-please ask them!  They can mail them to the school or send them in with a student.  Box Tops can be collected all year round and sent in throughout the year!  It is an easy way to support the PTO!
I will do a submission in October and another submission in early March.  If you've been saving them this summer-thank you and please send them in!

On the box top website you can also do online shopping and get credit for Flynn School-make sure to login and then make Flynn School the recipient.

Would love to increase the earnings from box tops this year!  Please cut them out before you recycle!  

 

2  LABELS FOR EDUCATION  The website for labels for education is http://www.labelsforeducation.com/Default.aspx  This website has information about the program and includes a list of products.  This is also a year round collection.  The box for this collection is also in the entrance to the Flynn Library.  The labels can be found on soups, goldfish crackers, some paper products and many other food items.  Many of you may know these as the Campbells Soup Labels, and they are still on soup cans, but can be found on many other products as well.  Again, send in with your child and they go to the box in the library. The labels are valued at different points which can be redeemed for various classroom items.

 

3  HANNAFORD HELPS SCHOOLS  Hannaford helps Schools usually runs from September to December.  It is a program where if you buy participating products, the store gives you a certificate to give to your school worth cash.  The certificates are given to you when you get your receipt from the cashier.  There is a display located in the front of the store to collect the certificates and you can put the certificate in the Flynn School slot.  You can also send these in to school with your child.  I will put a collection box in the library for them along with the other 2 boxes within the next week or so (haven't quite done that yet).  There is also a $1000 bonus for the school that collects the most in our area.  I like to send them into school only because sometimes the display in the store gets overloaded and they fall out and I'm not sure if they go back in the right slot.  Please try to keep these separate from the box tops and Labels for education because this program only goes through the Fall months so there is a deadline for getting them in!  http://www.hannaford.com/assets/hf/assets/content/hhs/index.html  is the website to find a list of products.  JUST FYI - Flynn has gotten the bonus $1k several times during my years at Flynn - more free money!!!

Community Forum on the Burlington School District English Language Learner Program  Come learn about the findings of the needs assessment conducted by the New England Equity Assistance Center of the Education Alliance at Brown University and give your input in a facilitated discussion on the priorities for English Language Learners and their families.

Monday, September 30, 2013
BHS Cafeteria
6 pm-8 pm

Join us for snacks at 6 pm. Program starts at 6:30 pm.

 Interpretation offered for speakers of Bosnian, Burmese, Kirundi, Maay Maay, Mahaa, Nepali, and Vietnamese. Transportation and childcare provided. Please contact a Multilingual Liaison or Nijaza Semic atnsemic@bsdvt.org or 288-6048 to discuss your needs.

Please RSVP to Chelsea Piazza at cpiazza@bsdvt.org or 865-5332 by September 27, 2013.

 

If you and your kids are interested in Science and Technology, you don't want to miss the Champlain Mini Maker Faire...     (FYI, don't wait to buy tickets - they sold out both days last year...)

Date: 

Saturday, September 28, 2013 to Sunday, September 29, 2013

Time: Sat. 10 am - 4:30 pm; Sun. 11 am - 4 pm

Event Type: 

Special Event

Location: Shelburne, VT

Part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, Maker Faire is an all-ages gathering of families and individuals celebrating the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset. It showcases makers who are exploring new forms and technologies, featuring innovation and experimentation in science, engineering,art, performance and craft.

See www.champlainmakerfaire.com for more information.



Parenting Corner:  20 School-Year Myths All Parents Must Ignore From Vickie Hoefle's parenting website

As the back to school energy (fueled by crisp notebook paper and the scent of freshly sharpened pencils) starts to drop off into a more wrinkled routine, there are 20 Myths that you must not let creep into your mind.

These myths (below) are lies

They do not reflect who you are or how good a parent you are. Incidentally, these are not true for others, just in case you want to raise an eyebrow at someone else’s messy little munchkin.

1. Kids will pack Twix bars and Twizzlers EVERY. SINGLE. DAY if left to their own decision-making.
2. It’s not only okay to be the human alarm clock, the maid and the unpaid chauffeur, it’s also okay if I never here a “thanks mom, thanks pop”.
3. Socks must match. Shirts must go on right side out. Shoes must be on the right feet. Kids need styling assistance.
4. The backpack is yours to stuff, unstuff, pack, unpack, hang up, repeat.
5. Homework police exist, and you’re the sheriff.
6. A forgotten lunch causes a lifetime of trauma and life-threatening hunger pangs.
7. Forgotten boots? Frostbite.
8. Zombie kids are “good” kids (because they do as they are told and follow all directions appropriately and without questioning).
9. Prompting a “please” or “thank you” to impress onlookers is always necessary.
10. Only SLACKER parents do not log into their child’s online grade portal.
11. Daylight hours are meant to be booked solid.
12. Kids have to play fair and share or else you must interfere because it is the adult’s job to make it right!
13. The principal’s office is a bad place for pad kids.
14. That science project had better look amazing – and you should see to it.
15. Kids who make messes have sloppy, unattentive moms and dads.
16. Invite everyone! It’s worth spending an arm and a leg on that bday party to preserve hurting feelings.
17. Mistakes are to be avoided and screw ups are to be punished.
18. Kids will grow out of their “annoying’ or pesky behaviors.
19. There is plenty of time LATER to train the kids.
20. My reputation matters.

Do you have any other false beliefs you’re trying to let go of? Share!

 



_{SAVE THE DATE}

September 18 - St. Joe's Open House - 6pm
September 19 - Principal's Coffee - 8:30
September 26 - Flynn Open House - 6pm
October 2 - Flynn Picture Day
October 3 - St. Joe's Picture Day
October 3 - Flynn PTO meeting - 6:30 in the library.  Light dinner and childcare provided
October 9 - Calendar 2.0 meeting at BHS
October 9 - Walk to School Day