Please come to the Willard Parent Social this Saturday, the 17th, 7 PM, at the home of Andrew and Christine Evans. Tickets are $25 person or $30 per person at the door. Hors' devourers, drinks and desserts. Checks can be dropped off in the box by the office. This is a really fun evening to catch up with old friends and is a great opportunity for new Willard families to meet each other!

The Willard PTG meets once each month to discuss events, activities, planning and finance. The second PTG Board meeting of the 2009-2010 school year will be held on Monday, October 19th at 12:30 in the Conference Room. All Willard parents are welcome to attend. The agenda is as follows:

• Welcome (Cupp/Olney)
• Principal Report (Fernandes)
• Treasury Report (O'Neil)
• President Report (Cupp/Olney )
  • Update PTG By-Laws - needs to be Reviewed and Update - any progress?
  • PTG approval of a $250 stipend to the individual who helped write the new school song, which will be sung by the 5th Graders at the 11/1 School Dedication
  • Book Fair next week, October 19-20
  • Family Math Night, Friday December 4, from 6-8:30PM
  • Summary of PTG Presidents' Meeting, 10/19/09
• Communications (Evans/Waldron )
  • Status update: website (old and new), bulletin board, PTG board/committee email addresses
  • Communications policy: article content/source, email blasts
  • Willard Weekly and repeated content
• Social Committee (Meyer/Piculell)
  • Parents Social Update
• Fundraising (Kuchar/Mueller/Reed)
  • Appeal Update
• Additional Items for Discussion All
  

Next Monday and Tuesday the school cafeteria transforms into the Willard Bookstore! Every classroom will visit the Book Fair, so please see the attached schedule for the day and time of your child's visit. We'll have great volunteers on hand to help steer kids through the Fair. We'll also be open on Monday evening from 6:30 - 8:00pm with childcare available. And, remember: each purchase directly supports our library collection, so feel free to stop in anytime we are open and buy those books! A final reminder notice will come home in students' backpacks. Questions? Contact Patti Reilly, patriciareilly@comcast.net.

The Alcott Family Friends group is sponsoring an apple picking event on the next late bus day, Tuesday, Oct. 20th, for all Boston and Concord Family Friends. Details are listed below and a flyer will be sent home in backpacks this week. Please RSVP to Heidi Judge at 978-369-4715 or JudgeFamily11@msn.com by Saturday, October 17th if your child and his/her buddy plan to attend. Kindergartners from Boston are welcome to attend even though they are not matched with Concord buddies until later in the fall. If any Boston kindergartners would like to attend the event, please let us know and we will make arrangements for them to join the group. If you decide to have a regular playdate on the 20th, that is fine too. The late bus will be picking everyone up at Alcott as usual. Please be there by 4:15 p.m.

Fall Apple Picking METCO Family Friends Event
Shelburne Farm 106 West Acton Road, Stow, MA, 01775 (978) 897-9287
Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 1:30 - 3:30 pm. No rain date scheduled due to length of apple picking season.
Concord buddies invite their Boston buddies for an afternoon of apple picking! Please note: Parents will be responsible for transporting and chaperoning their own kids and their Boston buddies. Concord and Boston buddies will receive one small bag of apples for picking, a donut and cider. In addition, there will be a tractor ride into the orchard and a presentation on apples. This event is sponsored by the Alcott PTG. Siblings and parents will need to pay for their own apples, etc...
- Debbie Osofsky (debbieosofsky@hotmail.com) and Grace Ryan (graceryan9@comcast.net), Willard Family Friends Committee

The Willard PTG's Annual Appeal Fundraiser has officially started! You should have received a pledge card and return envelope in the mail last week. Please donate whatever you can to support the many PTG programs that our students and families love. You can even donate online - just visit www.shopwillard.org and follow the link to Willard Appeal. And thank you for your donation!

Once again parents are invited to join their child(ren) for lunch in the Willard cafeteria once each month for Parent-At-Lunch (PAL) day. This month's PAL day is Friday, October 30th. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Grace Ryan at graceryan9@comcast.net by Wednesday, October 28th. As always, parents who attend must RSVP and must be CORI approved.

Once again, Willard is participating in the nationwide Trick or Treat for UNICEF program. UNICEF helps save, protect and improve the lives of children around the world, giving priority to the most disadvantaged children and countries in greatest need. Last year Willard students collected and donated over $1,200 and we hope to do the same this year. Check out www.unicefusa.org to learn how UNICEF helps kids by providing 56% of children in developing countries with their immunizations, by building wells for access to clean water, and by helping to build schools, to train teachers and to provide school supplies.

Please look for the little orange boxes to come home in your child's backpack the week of October 26. Extra boxes will be available near the school office. In an effort to be green, you will not receive any additional printed information along with the box. Return your boxes with change inside to Willard on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 2nd and 3rd. Too old to Trick or Treat? Host a Halloween Party to benefit UNICEF - registration details are also on the UNICEF USA website.

I hope you will participate. The Willard student donations can help to make a big difference in the lives of many children. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Suzanne Hogan at suzanne.hogan@comcast.net. Thank you.

Don't forget to turn in your order forms for Willard Wear. Now that the weather is getting cold a cozy Willard sweatshirt and fleece pajama pants will help keep your children warm. And don't forget to order the Camelback water bottle, sports bag and car magnets to show your school spirit. Contact Jean Webster at jeanpwebster@comcast.net or Sherin Spofford at sherinspofford@hotmail.com with any questions. Order forms can be returned to the main office.

The Nashoba Brooks and FENN Parents' Associations invite you to "Pressured Parents/Stressed-out Kids", a presentation by psychologist Wendy Grolnick, on Wednesday, October 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the Nashoba Brooks School. For more information, please contact Terry Hoey at tjohoey@aol.com.

The first-ever Gaining Ground cookbook is now in local stores! Purchase a copy at these Concord locations: Farfalle Italian Market, Salon Arte, Spero, The Concord Visitors' Center, The Old Manse, Debra's Natural Gourmet. Also sold on these dates: October 10 and 11 at The Old Manse Fall Festival (www.gainingground.org/events)

Help bring the magic of Halloween to all children! We are collecting any costumes, sports uniforms, accessories or costume jewelry for FROM THE PUMPKIN PATCH, an organization dedicated to providing Halloween costumes to children from low-income families. All items - new or used, infant to teen sizes - are welcome. Please bring items to the collection box in the Willard School lobby by October 16.

Reduce and Recycle the clothing and toys your kids no longer wear or use. Cradles-to-Crayons, an organization devoted to providing low-income children in Massachusetts with everyday supplies, will have a truck at this fall's Concord Public Works Recycling and Drop-off day on Saturday, Oct. 17th from 9:30 - 3:00. They accept toys, clothing, furniture, and car seats.

Kaleidoscope Theatre (www.kaleidoscopetheatre.com) will perform "Three Little Pigs" Sunday, October 18th @ 4pm at Emerson Umbrella (40 Stow Street, Concord, MA). Tickets cost $9 in advance and $10 at the door (max. $32/family). Available in advance at The Concord Bookshop, West Concord's Five and Ten, Auntie Erl's in Bedford, Learning Express of Acton and Concord Children's Center (978-369-6790). A bake sale will precede the performance. All proceeds to benefit Concord Children's Center's (www.concordchildrenscenter.org) Movement Class and Enrichment fund.

What does everyone's favorite aardvark, Arthur, and Lance Armstrong have in common? They've collaborated to produce free resources for schools, which help support young children when someone they love is diagnosed with cancer. Please attend a free screening and discussion at WGBH's new offices in Brighton on Sunday, October 18th. Take resources home. Invitation and RSVP information.

"Spook 'n' Book Family Halloween Party" will be held on Saturday, October 31st, 2-4:00pm, in the Concord Scout House, 74 Walden St. It will feature Halloween-themed games, crafts, and activities. Children are encourage to wear costumes. Refreshments provided by Concord Teacakes and Sally Ann Food Shop. Sponsored by the Concord Festival of Authors. Before the event, pick up an entry card at the Concord Main Library of the Fowler Library and participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt at 24 different Concord establishments. Turn in your cards for a prize at the Party. Have fun!

Grab those highlighter pens and mark your calendars for the Concord Ed Fund's annual party November 14th, 6:30PM at The Concord Country Club! Spend the evening dining with friends and dancing to FRENCH LICK, while benefiting the Concord Public Schools and Concord-Carlisle Regional High School. Bid on one-of-a-kind auction items like vacation homes, parties and wine. Attire is casual and BRIGHT! Don't forget your shades! Go to www.concordedfund.org to purchase tickets. Buy your tickets today - this event will sell out!