MLK PTO Weekly Email Update, 12/7/09

Dear Friends, Families, and Staff Members of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School,

This edition of the MLK PTO Weekly Email has 6 items of interest. Read on!

1. Rhode Island Department of Education “Race to the Top” public forum: TONIGHT!
Tonight, Monday, December 7, at 6:00pm at Central High School (70 Fricker Street, Providence), the Rhode Island Department of Education is holding a public forum to share information about and get input to inform its plans to apply for federal "Race to the Top" education funds. This is an essential opportunity to learn more about our state's direction for public education and to have your voices be heard on key issues such as the best ways to hire and retain high quality teachers and our state's commitment to fair and equitable state funding formula to ensure adequate funding for education in all communities. Please attend if you possibly can. More information is available at http://www.ride.ri.gov/Commissioner/RaceToTheTop/Default.aspx

2. MLK PTO Steering Committee Meeting, Wednesday, December 9, 7:30am
If you are interested in becoming more involved in the MLK Parent-Teacher Organization, please consider joining us at our monthly steering committee meeting to discuss fundraising, upcoming events, and other PTO business. Children are welcome and breakfast will be served. We would love to see Steering Committee regular and new faces. This meeting is open to EVERYONE in the MLKcommunity and we hope that you can join us. Please note that starting in January, we will hold MLK PTO Steering Committee meetings in the evenings as well (every other month, alternating with mornings) to maximize the possibility that everyone who wishes can attend. Please join us if you can; rsvp by responding to this email or call MLK PTO co-president Jill Davidson at 401-345-2464.

3. Family Movie Night! Friday, December 11, 6:00pm
The MLK PTO invites all students and their families to a special movie night featuring "THE POLAR EXPRESS. " This event begins at 6:00 p.m. Come in your pajamas for extra fun!  Cookies, hot chocolate and other refreshments will be available.  All children must be accompanied by an adult.

4. PTO Winter Celebration! Monday, December 14, 6:00pm
Plan to join us at the MLK PTO Winter Celebration! Third, fourth, and fifth grade students will be performing music they have worked on throughout the fall, and we'll share information about student progress and achievement. Childcare will be provided (childcare is $1 per child). Please bring a holiday dessert to share! Look for a flier with more details in students' backpacks. 

5. MLK Elementary Open House, Monday, December 14, 5:00pm

MLK will be hosting an Open House and tours for families interested in sending their kids to King. Please let your friends and family members who are shopping for schools for their kids about this opportunity to visit MLK (and stay to meet the community at the following PTO winter celebration!). Please spread the word! If you'd like a sign to hang up or pass out, please email PTO President Jill Davidson at jill.davidson@gmail.com. 

6. More ways to stay informed!

To stay informed about what's happening at King, please join our Facebook group! Search for MLK PTO or click http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=67532058618

And check our our brand-new blog! We're open to ideas about how to make it really useful for all MLK families--let us know what you think! Check it out at http://mlkpto.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

Jill Davidson

Kim Rohm

MLK PTO co-presidents

MLK Elementary Open House and Tour 12/14/09 5:00pm!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School will be hosting an Open House and tours for prospective families on Monday, December 14 from 5:00-6:00pm. Please join us to meet MLK principal Derrick Ciesla, current MLK parents and family members, MLK teachers, and students.

And while you're with us, please stay for our Winter Celebration of Student Achievement/PTO meeting, which will take place from 6:00-7:30. It's a great opportunity to participate in our school community, meet more families and staff members, and enjoy holiday desserts and student performances!

King is located at 35 Camp Street in Providence. Phone: 401-345-2464.

If you are interested in attending the Open House, or would like to receive information about additional upcoming Open House so that you can visit King and learn more about this public preK-5th grade East Side neighborhood school, please call the school office at 401-456-9398. Or post in the comments here and we'll put you on the list to get information about MLK and find out about future events. Ask questions, too; we're here to respond.

Thank you for your interest--don't miss the opportunity to spend time at this wonderful neighborhood public school.

December Newsletter!

Check out our fabulous December 2009 MLK PTO newsletter that went home with all kids! We know that not all families in the MLK school communities have regular access to a computer and the internet, and even for those that do, it's great to have a paper newsletter to hold and share news from school. Many thanks to MLK PTO Steering Committee members Brett Summers and Lorraine Lalli for gathering news and creating such a great-looking publication!

MLK PTO Weekly Email, 11/30/09

Dear Friends, Families, and Staff Members of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School,

We hope that you and your families had a terrific Thanksgiving. This weekly email update contains 5 items of interest:

1. Middle School Fair and Open Houses
For fifth grade parents: the Middle School Fair will be Tuesday, December 1, 5:30-8:00pm at Nathanael Greene Middle School, 721 Chalkstone Avenue (please note location change from the location mentioned in last week's PTO email). All Providence public middle schools will be open the following week from 8:30am-7:00pm for Open Schools Days. Please check schedules that will or have already come home with your students; information also available online athttp://www.providenceschools.org/media/63696/(eng)%20ms%20open%20schools%2011-13-2009.pdf

2. MLK PTO Steering Committee Meeting, Wednesday, December 9, 7:30am
If you are interested in becoming more involved in the MLK Parent-Teacher Organization, please consider joining us at our monthly steering committee meeting to discuss fundraising, upcoming events, and other PTO business. Children are welcome and breakfast will be served. We would love to see Steering Committee regular and new faces. This meeting is open to EVERYONE in the MLKcommunity and we hope that you can join us. Please note that starting in January, we will hold MLK PTO Steering Committee meetings in the evenings as well (every other month, alternating with mornings) to maximize the possibility that everyone who wishes can attend. Please join us if you can; rsvp by responding to this email or call MLK PTO co-president Jill Davidson at 401-345-2464.

3. Family Movie Night! Friday, December 11, 6:00pm
The MLK PTO invites all students and their families to a special movie night featuring "THE POLAR EXPRESS. " This event begins at 6:00 p.m. Come in your pajamas for extra fun! Cookies, hot chocolate and other refreshments will be available. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

4. PTO Winter Celebration! Monday, December 14, 6:00pm
Please save the date and plan to join us at the MLK PTO Winter Celebration! Students will be performing music they have worked on throughout the fall, and we'll share information about student progress and achievement. Childcare will be provided (childcare is $1 per child). Please bring a holiday dessert to share! More details will come home in a flier in students' backpacks.

5. MLK PTO Monthly Newsletter

Check your kids' backpacks for the December MLK PTO newsletter!

Have a great week!

Jill Davidson

Kim Rohm

MLK PTO co-presidents

MLK PTO Weekly Email, 11/22/09

Dear Friends, Families, and Staff of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School,

We hope that you had a great weekend and are ready for a wonderful Thanksgiving. This email contains 4 items of interest:

1. Catalog Sale: last call!

If your children still need to turn in catalog orders for the PTO fundraiser, tomorrow is the FINAL day you can do so. Please make every effort to get final catalog orders in--have your child bring them to school. If you need to speak with a PTO representative about your catalog order, please email PTO co-president Kim Rohm at kim.rohm at gmail.com. Thank you for your support this year! Catalog orders will arrive the second week of December.

2. Save the date for PTO Winter Celebration! Monday, December 14, 6:00pm

Please save the date and plan to join us at the MLK PTO Winter Celebration! Students will be performing music they have worked on throughout the fall, and we'll share information about student progress and achievement. Childcare will be provided (childcare is $1 per child). Please bring a holiday dessert to share! More details will come home in a flier in students' backpacks.

3. Middle School Fair and Open Houses

For fifth grade parents: the Middle School Fair will be Tuesday, December 1, 5:30-8:00pm at Gilbert Stuart Middle School, 188 Princeton Avenue. All Providence public middle schools will be open the following week from 8:30am-7:00pm for Open Schools Days. Please check schedules that will or have already come home with your students; information also available online athttp://www.providenceschools.org/media/63696/(eng)%20ms%20open%20schools%2011-13-2009.pdf

4. No School Thursday, 11/26 or Friday, 11/27

In celebration of Thanksgiving, there is no school on Thursday, 11/26 or Friday, 11/27.

Have a great week!

Jill Davidson

Kim Rohm

MLK PTO co-presidents

MLK PTO Weekly Email, 11/15/09

Dear members of the MLK Elementary School Community:

This week, we have six items of interest:

1. Scholastic Book Sale - all week long
The Book Fair open to classrooms during the school day during the week of November 16 (some classrooms already visited the fair on Friday, 11/13). Please check with your children's teachers if you're not sure when your kids' classrooms will attend the book fair.

We are seeking contributions of gently used books for the book fair: we want to get books into the hands of every child, whether or not s/he can afford to purchase books. Please drop off books at school this week so we can get them to our eager readers!

2. Nathan Bishop Middle School Open House, Tuesday, 11/17, 4-7pm
On Tuesday, November 17th, the Providence Public Schools is hosting a Community Open House at the new Nathan Bishop Middle School, at 101 Sessions Street. The open house runs from 4 to 7 p.m. with a dedication ceremony starting at 4:30 p.m. This will be a chance to tour the facility; meet students, teachers and staff; and learn about academics and student activities.

Nathan Bishop, totally renovated and reopened in August 2009, is the middle school that will be the destination for many MLKstudents as they move onto middle school--come by and check it out! RSVP is requested but not required by PPSD. Please call (401) 456-0686.

3. Please donate canned goods for Thanksgiving baskets
Each year, the MLK school staff create Thanksgiving baskets to donate to MLK Elementary families in need. All kids are asked to bring in delicious nonperishable items to add to the donations. The classroom with the largest collective donation wins a pizza party! Please send your kids in with cans and boxes of great food--one a day or a whole bag--and help families in need in our school community.

4. MLK PTO Steering Committee Meeting, Thursday 11/19, 7:30am, MLK Library
If you would like to be involved in planning PTO events, we invite you to join us at our next monthly MLK PTO Steering Committee meeting, which will take place on November 19 at 7:30am in the school library. Breakfast and childcare are provided. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to jill.davidson at gmail.com. We'd love to see you there--new ideas and energy always welcome!

5. MLK PTO is on Facebook!

Did you know that the MLK PTO is on Facebook? Join the group for another way to stay connected to what's happening! Search forMLK PTO on Facebook or click here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=67532058618

6. Thanks all around!
Many thanks go out to so many people in our community. Many teachers and staff members worked to ensure that last week's flu clinic went smoothly--thank you so much! Special thanks to school nurse Rosemary Wittels for excellent organization and communication. Thanks too to the many family members who volunteered. What a great team effort!

Thanks too for the hard work that many are putting in to ensure that the Scholastic book sale and Great American catalog sale are successful. And a final equally heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined the garden and grounds clean up on Wednesday, 11/11--great work!

Have a great week!

Jill Davidson and Kim Rohm

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization

MLK PTO Weekly Email 11/8/09

Dear members of the MLK Elementary School Community:

There's a lot going on this week and next at King. Read on!

1. H1N1 Flu Vaccination Clinic @ MLK, Monday, 11/9, 4-8pm TOMORROW!!!
H1N1 flu shots for all MLK students will be available at school on Monday, November 9 from 4:00-8:00pm. If you wish for your child to be vaccinated, you must return to school the consent forms that were mailed home. If you did not receive or need a form, there are extra copies in the office at school, or you can visit the Rhode Island Department of Health web site at http://www.health.ri.gov/flu/about/schoolh1n1clinics/index.php.

Please accompany your children to the flu shot clinic on Monday, November 9 from 4:00-8:00. Parents/guardians must accompany children in order for them to be vaccinated. Please visit http://www.health.ri.gov/flu/about/schoolh1n1clinics/index.php for more information and versions of the consent forms in English and Spanish.

Finally, we are seeking a few family members willing to help out during the event. If you are able to be at school for an hour or two from 4:00-8:00pm to lend a hand to the school staff as the kids get vaccinated, please email MLK PTO co-president Jill Davidson atjill.davidson@gmail.com or call 401-345-2464. Thank you!

2. Parent Teacher Conferences + Book Fair, Thursday, November 12
On the evening of Thursday, November 12, teachers will be available to meet with parents/guardians to discuss students' performance in school. As well. we invite families to visit the premiere of our annual Scholastic Book Fair, which will be open that evening during Parent-Teacher conferences. Make every effort to be at school on November 12 to connect with your children's teachers and shop for books to support the PTO!

3. MLK PTO Annual Catalog Sale Has Begun! All orders must be in by November 12!
The annual MLK PTO catalog sale began on October 30! We're working with a new company this year with wonderful items great for holiday gift giving, including a separate fabulous jewelry catalog. This is the PTO's biggest fundraiser of the year, and we thank you in advance for your participation.

Please take note of the option to shop online at http://www.gafundraiser.com so that out-of-town family members and friends can shop too! The web site has items that aren't in the catalog, including really wonderful personalized gifts.

Thank you so much for shopping for a great cause. Spread the word to family and friends, and please get order forms THIS WEEK, by Thursday, 11/12!!! Get your holiday shopping done now, be happy later, and do it knowing that you're raising money for great experiences for all kids at MLK Elementary.

4. Healthy Eating on a Budget workshop, Tuesday 11/10, 6:00-8:00pm
The Mt. Hope Learning Center, the MLK PTO, and Kids First RI invite you to a free parent education event featuring a free raffle, food, and fun activities for kids, all focused on finding ways to eat healthy on a budget. It will be held on November 10th from 6:00 to 8:00 in the MLK cafeteria.

5. Scholastic Book Sale - November 12 and the week of November 16
Get ready for the annual Scholastic book sale! As mentioned above, it will kick off during Parent-Teacher Conference night on November 12. We will have the Book Fair open to classrooms during the school day during the week of November 16. Along with the catalog sale, the book fair presents a fantastic opportunity to purchase holiday gifts while helping raise funds for enrichment activities for all of our kids.

We are seeking contributions of gently used books for the book fair: we want to get books into the hands of every child, whether or not s/he can afford to purchase books. Please drop off books at school this week so we can get them to our eager readers!

6. Please donate canned goods for Thanksgiving baskets

Each year, the MLK school staff create Thanksgiving baskets to donate to MLK Elementary families in need. All kids are asked to bring in delicious nonperishable items to add to the donations. The classroom with the largest collective donation wins a pizza party! Please send your kids in with cans and boxes of great food--one a day or a whole bag--and help families in need in our school community.

7. MLK School Garden Fall Clean-up November 11
Fall is upon us, but its time to look towards Winter and prepare for Spring planting. The MLK School Garden has enjoyed a very prosperous growing season, but we now need help trimming back, cleaning up and preparing the garden for Winter. We are looking for volunteers to give a few hours of their time on Wednesday to help pull weeds, clear walkways and generally prepare the vegetable beds for winter. If possible, please bring your own gardening gloves and a few empty lawn bags. All other supplies will be provided. We will be meeting rain or shine...Hope you can join us!

When: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 (Veteran's Day - no school) beginning at 10 AM

Where: Meet at the gates of the MLK Garden (just behind the kindergarten entrance)

For more information contact Susan Gunter (email smitch3 at mac.com or 427-1077)

8. No School on Wednesday, 11/11!

Please note that school is not in session on Wednesday, November 11.

9. MLK PTO Steering Committee Meeting, Thursday 11/19, 7:30am, MLK Library
If you would like to be involved in planning PTO events, we invite you to join us at our next monthly MLK PTO Steering Committee meeting, which will take place on November 19 at 7:30am in the school library. Breakfast and childcare are provided. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to jill.davidson at gmail.com. We'd love to see you there--new ideas and energy always welcome!

See you at the flu vaccination clinic tomorrow!

Jill Davidson

Kim Rohm

MLK PTO co-presidents