Bonjour

First and foremost, I want to acknowledge that the events of this past week likely touched each of us in some way.  If you or someone you know was impacted directly by what happened in Danvers, know that the Coolidge community supports you and please let us know how we can help.  It was a  tragedy that has impacted us all of us for many reasons.  We feel impacted not only due to the proximity and similarity of the town of Danvers to Reading, but aslo we are impacted as teachers, students, mothers, fathers, guardians, sons, daughters, siblings, friends, and peers.  Know that at Coolidge and in all of the Reading schools, the safety of our students and staff is of paramount importance.

In times such as these, many of us feel the need to hold our own children a bit tighter, slip in an extra kiss (or for those of us who are parents of teens, then perhaps finding success by landing a kiss on them at all!), play a bit longer, and to be more present in our interactions.  Yet a true testament to the trust our Coolidge parents have in the school became evident on Thursday morning when parents of Team Gemini 8th graders brought their sons and daughters to Coolidge, their bags packed, ready for their trip to Quebec, Canada. Rather than holding them tighter during an emotional week, they had the trust and conviction to let their kids go.  Thank you, parents!  It was so nice to see the students lined up to get on the bus, the numbers of students exactly as it should have been, saying "au revoir" and "adieu" as they made their way onto the bus.

And what a success the trip was! As the students and chaperones got off of the bus on Saturday night, they were tired, happy, and safe.  The trip was filled with experiences that will become a lifetime memory for the students who could be part of this opportunity.  Special thanks to Mrs. Klein for leading and chaperoning the trip, Mrs. Cuscuna for helping to coordinate and for chaperoning, and to Mr. Smith and Mr. Bernard for chaperoning. Trips like these take full and complete attention and energy on behalf of the chaperones, with the cargo so prescious!

Enjoy the week ahead!  Happy Halloween!

Parent Open House School Dance

Well, there’s an idea!  A Parent Open House Dance!  Should we try it in the spring?  Are you breaking into a cold sweat with "Sixteen Candles"-like memories?  No worries, I won’t make you dance next time.  My rewrite of the title is: Parent Open House; School Dance.  And what I mean to speak of is in two parts:

Parent Open House

First of all, what a pleasure it was to see so many parents at Friday’s Open House!  I know work schedules keep many parents from attending, for which I am sorry and fully understanding, as I am sure you would have loved to be there!  To those who were able to attend, thank you for sharing your time with the Coolidge community.  Some children openly welcome parents; many others seem to cringe at the sight of anyone over the age of 30!  Whether they admit it or not, they feel supported to see you walking their middle school halls and sharing in their school experience.  So thank you for sharing their experience, celebrating their wonderful teachers, and for being part of our Coolidge Community in this way!  In addition, thank you to the various PTO members and parents who donated coffee, snacks, and time to make the experience flow!

I personally enjoyed experiencing the Open House from two new perspectives this year.  Firstly, as an administrator, I was able to spend more time than usual visiting with parents and sharing in the all-school excitement.  I also had the opportunity to be a part of a (faulty fire alarm-induced) fire evacuation during the Open House, timed perfectly so that parents and district administrators could participate!  How fun!  And well done, everyone!!!  Secondly, as a parent, I enjoyed attending the parent coffee hosted by Team Voyager, I sat in on a few classes, and saw my son and his teachers “in action”.  It was great!

And as if the day wasn’t long enough, we got to cap it off with the first school dance of the 2013-2014 school year!

In attendance included: a darkly-shrouded ghost-type persona; a Mario character; an Ironman figure; a riddling elf; an alien; a Monster High girl; and 125 other characters (some in costume).  I was “on the alert”, paying close attention to the distance between girls and boys.  What I didn’t expect was that I would have to instead monitor the running AWAY of girls from boys, boys from girls, and so on.  There was a lot of running!  And a lot of fun was had by all.  Thanks to the Student Council, and to this year’s Student Council advisors, Mrs. DeBenedetto and Mrs. Herlihy, for organizing/coordinating/ chaperoning!!!!  In addition, thanks to Mrs. Warren and Mr. Bernard for chaperoning, to Mrs. Pink, who kept tabs on the money and the doors, to Rafael Mercado, who helped to set up, break down, etc., and to  Mr. Martin, who tried to show up in disguise as an administrator, but we recognized him immediately as a child at heart.  :)

Coolidge's Caring Community...

Middle schools are raw with emotion.  There are the emotions of the students, both high and low, as they go through such a transitional time in their lives.  There are the emotions of the staff, who are passionate about the students and to their dedication to teaching.  And there are connections that deepen these emotions: among students, between students and teachers, and among the staff as we unite to support the educational, emotional, and behavioral well being of our students.

It is at times easy to take these connections for granted, or to not stop and pause and to appreciate the power of connections.  And yet I had one of these moments on Friday when John McCarthy told his students that he would be taking a medical leave to start chemotherapy treatments for bladder cancer (starting immediately and lasting at least until January).  John was very emotional, as were the students who expressed concern, questions, and some tears at the news.  After school, students lined up to shake his hand, take photos with him, ask more questions, and to give hugs.  It was hard to maintain composure myself, as it was so touching to watch students share their thanks, their concern, and their well wishes to such a beloved teacher.  And then once the halls had cleared of students, staff were doing the same.

John is a private person, so I will be working with others to create opportunities for staff, students, and parents to support him in ways that respects his request for privacy.  He did offer for all students to email him at any time if they want to reach out.

All of the staff, students, and parents of our Coolidge Community wish John well over the next few months and success in his battle against cancer!

Lastly, this event provides a reminder for students, staff, and parents alike to reflect on our connections: to cherish those we have and to work on those that need nurturing!  I am personally grateful for all of the wonderful connections that make Coolidge so special, for staff and students alike.

Chickens and the Arts

Did I get your attention with that post title?  :)

This post will be a bit more random than my last ones, as I have a few updates on unrelated topics.

First of all, thanks to those of you who attended our fist PTO meeting last Tuesday.  We appreciated the information presented by school counselor Marlene Lifshin and school psychologist Laura Vance about transitions.  For next month's meeting, we would love to have a presentation and discussion about internet safety, and are looking for someone who is qualified to present on this!  If you have anyone who you know of, please have them contact me!

Related to the PTO, the Magazine Drive/ Cookie Dough fundraiser is under way, with October 8 being the last day for orders.  I don't want to be a "Debbie Downer" here, but numbers are down this year.  We have seen this falling trend over the last few years as digital media options rise, which is understandable.  Yet we did hope for better results this year, given that the PTO has tried hard to narrow down their funraising efforts to only one fundraiser (this one) and have tried to balance the money they need to raise with having a greater Direct Donation amount that families can donate to the PTO.  If you haven't already turned in your Direct Donation and yet intend to do so, please know it is not too late and any donations will be appreciated.  In addition, if you or your family do enjoy receiving a magazine or two and could purchase or renew them through your child, the school benefits directly!  And what does this have to do with chickens?  For every 2 orders of cookie dough or magazines, a baby chick gets donated to a needy family in Bangladesh!  That's pretty neat!

Now to switch gears.  As most of you know, the Town of Reading and the Reading schools believe strongly in incorporating the arts in our curriculum and extracurricular opportunities.  As I have been updating the Comet and Edline calendars, it is evident that there are many exciting opportunities to take part in the arts.  After school activities include:

• Tuesdays: Chime Choir
• Tuesdays: Advanced Choir
• Thursdays: Jazz Band
• This Thursday: an informational meeting about the middle school production of "Seussical"
• Fridays: a student-developed acapella group (the "Trouble Clefs")
• Second Semester: Art Club

In school, it is a pleasure to walk around and to hear the 6th and 7/8 bands and chorus groups filling the rooms with instruments and voices, to hear songs from "the days of old" in the History of Music class, to see students composing their own music in the Music Composition class, and to see students of all grades engrossed in stimulating art activities in the art room in both art and enrichment classes.  With students feeling increased pressures in academics and sports, it is nice to see them finding an outlet, and inspiration, in the arts.  In addition, it directly benefits brain development as well.  Encourage your son/ daughter to take part in these opportunities and to stick with them, as they truly are enriching!

I have been asked to post one deadline related to the arts: Advanced Chorus students who wish to see "A Christmas Story: The Musical" in December need to hand in a permission slip by Tuesday, October 8 to Mrs. Prindiville. Feel free to email her directly for more information or for a copy of the permission slip (samantha.prindiville@reading.k12.ma.us).

Also for your calendars, I want to highlight that Friday, October 18 is our in-school Open House.  It's a great time for parents to shadow their son/daughter to see what a school day looks like at Coolidge!  You are welcome to attend for all or any part of the day!  Also, be aware that there is no school on Monday, October 14 (Columbus Day) or Tuesday, October 15 (which is a staff in-service day).

Have a great week!