From the PTO
Staff Appreciation Week
Attention Richards Families! Each year there is one week we celebrate our Richards teachers, staff, and crossing guards and show them how much we appreciate all they do for our children. This year, Staff Appreciation Week will be May 6th-10th and the Richards PTO has exciting plans! Each day, the PTO plans a special activity, including breakfast, a catered lunch, gifts and sweet treats. Everyone gets excited for the daily raffle as well, and this is where we can use your help! We are looking for donations from our Richards Community to help make the raffle a success. Please consider making a monetary or gift donation - flyers went home in your child’s Thursday folder last week! You can also contribute online by visiting the PTO website, scroll down to the “We Love our Richards Staff Members” section.
Questions? Email MaryKathryn Malaney at marykathryn.malaney@gmail.com or Abby Williams at acdwilliams@mac.com.
Author, Speaker and Yoga Guru: Ann Biese!
The PTO Cultural Arts Committee and Richards School is excited to host author, speaker and yoga guru Ann Biese! Ann will be presenting to both parents and students with two separate presentations focused on mindful breathing and calming techniques. Ann Biese is an international Yoga Instructor and is the author of the award-winning children's book Worry Bee and Mindful Moon. She is also a Meditation and Mindfulness Specialist in pediatric settings, including Tufts Floating Hospital for Children in Boston, and has taught MBSR and yoga to various youth groups and teen athletes across the country. Ann has been a featured speaker on meditation and mindfulness in hospitals and further facilitates trainings for ChildLight Yoga & Mindfulness for Tweens and Teens. You can visit Ann's website at: http://www.annbiese.com.
The parent presentation, “Say YES to the Breath for Parents and their Families!” will take place on Thursday, April 4th at 6:15pm in the Richards Great Hall with an hour presentation followed by a book signing. Finding your breath is key to better living. Through the use of visual aids and practical demonstrations, Ann will help parents understand and apply the benefits of breathing and calming techniques to "discover life in the calm zone.” Ann uses impromptu, engaging and fun activities and gets her audience involved. Visit the PTO Facebook page to RSVP to the event!
The student presentations will take place on Friday, April 5th during the school day. K4-2 and their teachers will learn about proper breathing. Ann will demonstrate proper breathing techniques and will read from one of her books. She will use visual props, show-and-tell her way through Worry Bee and enlist students or teachers in an impromptu demonstration. At the end of her program, Ann will give students a chance to ask questions. Grade 3-5 will learn how finding their breath is the key to learning to live better. Ann gives students a glimpse into the process that creates this lifelong skill and will use demonstrations—by modeling how the lung and brain response to breathing and practice.
If you would like to pre-order a copy of Ann’s book Worry Bee or Mindful Moon, return the paper order form that was in your child’s Thursday folder last week (K4-2). Ann’s books are geared more towards the younger grades (K4-2) but anyone is welcome to order! Ann is donating 20% of book sales back to the Richards PTO! Due to Spring Break next week, book order forms are DUE TOMORROW. Questions? Contact Aine McMenamin-Johnson at ainemcj@me.com or Sarah Nowak at sarahzirbelnowak@gmail.com.
Box Tops for Education!
The Spring submission for Box Tops was a success and our special classroom collection is underway! K4 continues to lead the way, turning in 587 Box Tops! 2nd grade is second with 283, followed closely by 1st grade with 258. Keep turning in your box top collections and sheets and be watching for updates on the poster near the office. If you haven't started collecting Box Tops yet, now is the time - the winning class will receive a popsicle party at the end of the year. It's as simple as a few clips and such an easy way to earn money for Richards School. Thank you!
Save the Date: Donuts for Dudes!
Mark your calendars! Donuts for Dudes will take place this year on May 31st at 7:15am. Get pumped. Save the date.
High Interest Day
Thank you to all parents, relatives and community members who have signed up to be presenters for our inaugural High Interest Day! Our committee is in the process of finalizing the schedule for the afternoon and will be sending out an email the week after Spring Break to all parents letting them know what the presenter session options will be. It would be helpful if you could discuss and read through the session options with your child at home. We then plan to have the kids rank their choices that week in their classrooms.
Volunteers! We could also use a few volunteers that day to help direct kids to their sessions and be around to make sure everything runs smoothly. We will need volunteers on April 24th from 12:30pm to 2:50pm. Please email richardsptowfb@gmail.com to sign up. It’s going to be a fun and educational afternoon for our kids! Questions? Contact Sarah Nowak at sarahzirbelnowak@gmail.com or Jill Fink at thinkjfink@gmail.com.
Lego Club: 3rd Grade is Up Next!
The registration deadline for 3rd Grade Lego Club is March 27, 2019. The 3rd grade Lego Club dates are: April 3, April 10, April 17 and April 24.
Lego Club is an extracurricular activity run by the Richards PTO. The club is open to students in grades K5 through 5th grade and there is no cost to students. Lego Club meets on Wednesday afternoons from 3:05 to 4:00 in Room 5. Students will be dismissed from their classrooms to Lego Club. Unless prior arrangements are made, parents are expected to pick their child up from Lego Club at 4:00. Room 5 is located on the lower level, take a right at the bottom of the center stairwell.
To register your child for Lego Club, visit the PTO website click on “Lego Club” in the top menu. Questions? Email Lego Club Co-Chair Allison Roth at allison.b.roth@gmail.com.
PTO Volunteer Opportunities!
Fifth Grade Theater: 5th Grade Theater is part of the end of the year fun for the 5th grade class. Parent volunteers meet with students once a week during lunch to rehearse a short play to be performed in front of family and friends on the evening of Thursday, May 30th. No theater experience necessary! We’re looking for 3-4 parents who are available during the weekday to come to school once a week around noon, for an hour to help the kids rehearse. The day is up to you. Email richardsptowfb@gmail.com to sign up.
Costco Runs: If you love Costco, or more specifically love going to Costco, the Fun Lunch team needs your help! Did you know that before every Fun Lunch, our Fun Lunch Committee Chairs drive to Costco, and buy all the bottled water, baby carrots, and Rice Krispie treats that are part of the Fun Lunch Menu? There are 17 Fun Lunch Fridays this school year, that’s a lot of trips to Costco! Help them out, sign up to make a trip to Costco for Fun Lunch supplies. Email richardsptowfb@gmail.com to volunteer.
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