We would like to thank Andrew and Christine Evans for opening their home on Saturday evening for the Parent Social. Parents had a great time meeting each other and catching up. We had over 115 parents there, which was wonderful! Also, a huge thank you to Polly Meyer and Kim Piculell for organizing, setting up and cleaning up---it was a lot of work on their part.

Please plan on attending the Grand Opening Celebration on Sunday, November 1st, from 1-3 PM. This will be a great community event for Concord and we hope you will all be there to celebrate our new school! Thank you,
-Kate Olney and Aimee Cupp, Co-Presidents, Willard PTG

The PTG's Annual Appeal is in full swing. This is the time of year when we humbly ask for your donation to support the PTG. This money supports the wonderful assemblies and programs that our children have come to love, including Math Night, Science fair, Spelling Bee, EarthCare Club, all field trip costs, and Authors Fest. The suggested donation amount is $135/child but we aim for 100% participation so please consider giving, no matter what amount. Also, if you get your donation in by November 1st you will be entered into a drawing for a prize of $250 in "Gift of Concord" gift certificates. So remember - no popcorn, no wrapping paper, no scented candles, just send in your donation to the school office or you can use a credit card online at www.shopwillard.org. Thank you very much!

This year's Book Fair was a great success. Sincere thanks to the remarkable crew of volunteers and staff that worked so hard to bring the fair to our new school. We've already added more than 80 books to our library and dozens of books to our students' classrooms! In addition to these new books, sales from the fair also resulted in nearly $2000 in profits that will enrich our library's excellent program through the coming school year.
We hope all the kids had fun at the Fair and that you all enjoy your books.
- Patti Reilly, Aimee Cupp, Laura Klein, and Jennfier Waldron, Book Fair Committee

A huge thank you to Patti Reilly and her committee of Aimee Cupp, Laura Klein and Jennifer Waldron along with scores of volunteers who helped make this year's Book Fair a decided success. There were many "winners" from the Book Fair: students who have new, quality books; teachers who received wonderful book donations for their classrooms; and the Library which benefits from many new titles. We are grateful to the Willard School community for their support of the Book Fair and also to the parents who so generously gave their time and talents.
- Erica Chicco and Ann Fossett, Library Staff
- Pat Fernandes, Willard School Principal

Come join the fun! Family Game Night is just around the corner (Dec. 4th) and parent volunteers are needed to become Game Gurus! Being a Game Guru involves learning how to play several GameWright games in a particular age group and then teaching others how to play on Family Game Night. Guru training will be held on Friday, Nov. 20th at 7 p.m. Please contact us if you are able to help or would like additional information. Thanks!
- Debbie Osofsky (debbieosofsky@hotmail.com, 978-287-5945) and Kathi O'Neil (kathioneil@gmail.com, 978-369-5336)

Did you get your copy of the Willard School Directory? This handy reference includes class lists and contact information for the school, teachers and staff, and most of you child(ren)'s friends. Get your copy by simply paying your Willard PTG annual dues of just $20. Get an additional copy for only $5 - keep it in your car! And paying your dues has never been easier - you can send it to fundraising@willardptg.org via PayPal. Or, if you prefer, send your check (payable to Willard PTG) to the treasurer, Kathi O'Neil, in the Treasurer's box in the Willard office or at 171 Deacon Haynes Road.

If you are interested in attending this month's Parent-At-Lunch (PAL) day on Friday, October 30th, 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.

Only one week left! Chase away the chill in a new Willard hooded sweatshirt and flannel pajama pants! Check out the cool Willard water bottles, sport bags, and car magnets. Questions? Contact jeanpwebster@comcast.net or sherinspofford@hotmail.com. Please remember to place your orders by October 30th, checks made payable to The Willard PTG. Thanks for your support!

4th & 5th grade students may again ride their bikes to school. Sstudents should ride their bikes carefully. They should not arrive to school before 8:45. Once they arrive, they should secure their bikes at the bike rack, enter the building, and go directly to their classrooms.

In case you missed the email from earlier this week, Superintendent Diana Rigby sent a letter which outlines the implementation of one of the components of the established Wellness Policy (2006). As you can see from the letter, food for Celebrations (Birthdays, Holidays, etc.) is no longer allowed at any of the elementary schools and the middle school of the Concord Public Schools. As outlined in the Superintendent's letter, this restriction is necessary due to the increase in food allergies, diabetes, and childhood obesity. Pat Fernandes and the Willard teachers have discussed alternative ways for celebrating special occasions.

The notes from the most recent Concord-Carlisle School Committee meeting are now available. Click here for more information.

Thanks to the generous support of the Concord-Carlisle community the Annual Concord Ed Fund party sold out in a record 4 days! If you missed out on securing tickets to this year's party we sincerely apologize. You can still support the mission of the Concord Ed Fund by making a financial donation at www.concordedfund.org. If you would like to contribute an item to the Auction on the 14th, please email Theresa Scalzi at tpjscalzi@comcast.net. We look forward to celebrating the "Bright Future" of the Concord Public Schools and CCHS on November 14th! Don't forget your shades!

You can still 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. And we collect clothing, shoes and boots (all seasons/all sizes) throughout the year for Shriners Hospital and Honduras. We are also in need of large size suitcases/duffle bags, books, and small (Happy Meal Type) toys. Donations can be dropped off at: 27 Captain Miles Lane and tax receipts are available upon request. Thank you.

Kicks for Cancer game rescheduled! On Saturday, October 24, the CCHS Men's varsity soccer team will be playing Tyngsborough @ 7pm at the turf field behind the High School in the Third Annual Lois Wells Memorial "Kicks for Cancer" Soccer Match will all proceeds donated to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. This night game is in memory of Concord resident Lois Wells, who passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Lois is the mother of Steve Wells, who is the team's assistant coach and a 1998 graduate of CCHS. Tickets will be on sale at the event. Raffle Tickets will also be available. We invite you and your family to join us on the evening of the 24th to watch a great soccer match and help support cancer research.

The Center for Parents and Teachers in collaboration with the Concord Middle School PTG present: "Organizing the Middle School Student" with Sarah Ward, M.S., CCC/SLP. One of the biggest challenges that confront students as they transition to middle school is the significant increase in the demands for the independent organization of time, materials and information. The skills required for meeting these demands, including planning, sequencing, and operationalizing instructions, fall under the rubric of "executive functioning." Students with a range of different learning styles often struggle with executive functioning and their problems in this area become increasingly apparent in the context of the demands of middle school. In an engaging, informative and practical presentation, strategies will be discussed that parents can use in supporting their children to develop more effective organizational skills.
Thursday, October 29, 2009, from 9:15-11:00am at the Concord Middle School Peabody Forum. No Fee. No registration required. Please contact Angela at amartinez@colonial.net for more information.

The Nashoba Valley Ski Club Race Team is currently accepting new members for the '09-10 winter season. No previous race experience needed. Go to www.nvscracing.com or click here for more information.

The 2009 Kid's Community Spelling Bee will be held at the Fenn School on Saturday, November 21st. Children in grades 2-5 compete in teams of 2-4 students. The registration deadline is November 6th. Register online at www.fenn.org (then click News & Events) or for more information and a registration form, click here.