December 3, 2019
We had a wonderful turn out for parent - teacher conferences in late October and November. Thank you all for your continued interest and support! I hope you all had a wonderful November break and that you are enjoying the lovely snowfall we are currently experiencing. There are lots of exciting events this month in our school and community. Please read on to learn more about these events. Kindergarten children will be decorating gingerbread houses later in December. Your child's teacher will be in touch soon with those details.
We had our November Community Meeting hosted by Mrs. Elder’s and Mrs. Lemay’s kindergarten classes. Mrs. Elder dressed as Mrs. Turkey Bird and led delighted students and staff in the infamous Mrs. Turkey Bird song. Teachers shared what they are most thankful for and students had an opportunity to share their gratitude with one another.
Our December Community Meeting will focus on Holidays of Light and will be hosted by Mrs. Landry and Ms. Mullane. Here is a list of the holidays that will be mentioned. Please let us know if there are holidays that your family celebrates that aren’t represented. We would be happy to include them.
- St. Nicholas Day, December 6, 2019
- St. Lucia’s Day, December 13, 2019
- Hanukkah, December 22 – 30, 2019
- Winter Solstice, December 22, 2019
- Christmas, December 25, 2019
- Kwanzaa, December 26, 2019 to January 1, 2020
- Luminarias (a small paper lantern: Southwestern United States)
Please also note that we will continue our annual tradition of holding a school-wide Pajama Day on Friday, December 20th. This is the last day before the holiday break and it is really fun for the adults as well as the children! Students are allowed to bring one stuffed animal that will fit in their backpacks. No slippers are allowed. Please send shoes or sneakers for your child to wear inside.
Rowe Facilities Project
As you are all aware, the construction to our school is underway. Superintendent Dolloff came to our morning staff meeting on Monday to answer questions from teachers. We are holding bi-weekly meetings with the contractors and district leadership. This allows us to be in constant communication with the builders and to provide staff with important information they may need to know in advance. The children have been very interested in some of the large trucks and equipment that have been on site! I will provide more updates as the project progresses.
Please read the attachment regarding the Rudolph Fun Run for kids on Saturday, December 7th. This event is sponsored by the Yarmouth Rotary.
Events at Merrill Memorial Library
Hometown Holidays, Saturday, December 7: come to the library to make ornaments, all day, all ages, drop in
Ukulele Jam, Saturday, December 14, 10:30-11:30, bring your uke and jam to some winter songs - there will also be a few ukuleles available to play/try. Drop in.
Gingerbread Day: December 18, 3:45, all ages, sign up required. Sign up at circulation desk, email Mary at mrandall@yarmouthlibrary.org, or call 846-4763
New Year's Eve Party, December 31, 11-12, all ages: join us for stories, crafts, and a balloon drop to ring in 2020!
Yarmouth Education Foundation News
Are you looking for a great holiday gift for a Yarmouth educator? Yarmouth Education Foundation Clipper Honors is back! This December, YEF is partnering with Maple’s Bakery.
Donate $25 or more to YEF in honor of an educator, and your honoree will receive a certificate of appreciation, a note from your family, and a gift card to Maple’s!
It’s simple. Place your order online (yarmoutheducationfoundation.org) by Friday 12/13/19, and YEF volunteers will take care of the rest.
It is a thoughtful way to honor teachers, administrators, support staff, bus drivers, and more! YEF volunteers will deliver your gifts on Wednesday 12/18/19.
PTO News
Silver Graphics – Going on now! You can purchase keepsakes with your child’s artwork. They make wonderful gifts and will arrive in time for the holidays. Paper orders were due Nov 25, but the due date for online orders is extended to Sun, Dec 1! Distribution: YES library Dec 16-19, 3:30-6:30pm.
Otto’s – Cook-free Tuesday! Dec 10, 5-9pm stop at Otto’s for dine in, take out, or gift cards, and the PTO will receive a percentage of your sale. Just say you’re dining for the Yarmouth PTO. Thank you!
Hannaford – Next load is Wed, Dec 18, 12pm. To reload an existing card, write the card’s last 6 digits on your check’s memo line; no need to send in the card or form. Forms will be sent home.
YES Disney on Ice-Extended to Rowe - Come see your favorite Disney story come to life on Friday, Dec 20 at 7:00pm in the Cross Insurance Arena, Portland! Cost is $17/person. *Limited seat availability* Please RSVP/provide payment by 12/12 to Melissa Neish (m_neish@yahoo.com). This is a YES event, but we think Rowe families might be interested. If so, forms are in the office, or you can reach out to Melissa.
Online Boon Supply – Still open! If you’re looking for great hostess/holiday gifts, Boon Supply sale continues online throughout the year. Check out the PTO’s storefront - 40% of purchases go to the PTO. Boon Distribution – We have a small amount of merchandise to distribute. If you didn’t have purchases delivered home, you can pick them up at Rowe library, Wed, Dec 11, 3:30-6:30pm. If you’re unable to, please contact Sarah Day to arrange a different pick-up (saracday@gmail.com).
Student Directory – You can access the online directory at https://yarmouthschools.membershiptoolkit.com (easy login directions). If you ordered a paper directory, it will be sent home with your student the week we return from Thanksgiving break. Note: the district no longer provides class lists, so they are not in the directory. Consequently, the paper directory is now organized by grade level to make it as easy as possible to find students. Some parents added their students’ teacher names online, so that information will be in the paper directory.
Rowe Movie – Students voted to watch Frozen! Rowe families can watch the movie at the HMS cafeteria on Dec 13; doors open 5:30pm, movie starts 5:45pm. Please bring a water bottle and blanket. Movie is no charge; pizza and popcorn for purchase. You’re welcome but not requested to bring donations of gently used baby/children’s items, diapers, wipes for Piece of My Heart Loan Closet. (Not a drop-off event.)
Rowe Families: Rowe parents are invited to stop by the Nook at Handy’s for coffee and conversation on Tuesday, Jan 7, 8:40-10am. Come any time! After you order, meet us in the Otto’s seating area. Younger siblings welcome. Please contact Becca Maltais with questions (rebeccamaltais@yahoo.com). Individuals are responsible for their own purchases. Hope to see you there!
PTO Meeting – December 12, 4pm in YES library. Please join us!
Simply Giving – If you’d like to consider the PTO with an end-of-year charitable gift, simply write ”direct donation” in the memo and send your check to: Yarmouth K-8 PTO, P.O. Box 262 Yarmouth, ME 04096 or click here for online giving. A written thank you and receipt will be sent to you.
Thank You! – Please feel free to look at the enrichments we’re able to provide through your donations of time and funding. We’re so grateful to you, our school families, for all you do to support the schools. Please contact Jessica and Christy for any reason at yarmouthpto04096@gmail.com. Happy Thanksgiving!
Dates to note:
Saturday, December 7th - Day of Hope presentations at Yarmouth H.S. Performing Arts Center, 11:00-1:30
Thursday, December 12th- PTO meeting in the YES library, 4-5 pm
Friday, December 20th – Rowe School-wide Pajama Day
Monday, December 23rd-Wednesday, January 1st- Holiday break, No School
Students return to school on Thursday, January 2, 2020!
Thursday, January 16th- PTO meeting in the YES library, 7-8 pm
Monday, January 20th – Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday – No School
Sincerely,
Susan Lobel, Principal
