November 2011 Newsletter Otsego

Otsego

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Mrs. Schreiber’s third grade students eagerly conduct a scientific experiment in Otsego’s STEM Lab.

Mr. & Mrs. Yaris and Mrs. Castiglia take time for a picture after a very successful PARP Assembly!

Weeks of November 14th and 21st

A Message from the Principal Stacey Bernstein The Thanksgiving season is a wonderful time of year to reflect upon the many blessings in our lives. These may include our families, friends, health, jobs, homes, and the food on our table. I encourage you to use this opportunity to talk with your children about the things in their life for which they are thankful.

In today’s tough economic times, many families are experiencing difficulties. Consider

Our Agenda

need. At Otsego, we are Tuesday, 11-15 Report Cards Available Online collecting cranberry sauce

Elementary Evening Conferences and mashed potatoes which o 6-9 PM will be combined with

Kelso Novelty Sale during Lunch collections from other Periods schools to create holiday Wednesday, 11-16 baskets.

Kelso Novelty Sale During Lunch Periods On behalf of the Otsego Thursday, 11-17 faculty and staff, I wish

Elementary Evening Conferences you a Happy Thanksgiving o 6-9 pm with family and friends.

Friday, 11-18

Elementary Daytime Conferences Half Hollow Hills is o No School for Elementary currently conducting a food Students drive to help those in our Saturday, 11-19 own community who are in

Morning at The Movies Monday, 11-21

BOE Meeting at Sunquam 8 PM Tuesday, 11-29 Photo Make-up Day Tuesday, 11-22 Future Otsego Tuesday, 12-6 Chorus Winter Concert

PTA Pie Sale Pick-up 7:30 PM Happenings o 3:30 -6:00 PM Wednesday, 12-7 PTA General Meeting Thursday, 11-24 & Friday, 11-25 9:30 AM

Happy Thanksgiving o School Closed PTA Executive Meeting 11:00 AM

2011

helping those less fortunate this holiday season by participating in a food, toy, or clothing drive, volunteering your time, or making a donation to a charitable cause. Teaching children to be empathetic and to give back to their communities is a lesson that will serve them well throughout their lives.

Search for seeds.

Hunt around outside for seeds or seedpods that come from trees.

Your child might find pinecones, maple tree “helicopters,” or acorns, for example. How do they compare to each other? Bring them home, and explore them with a magnifying glass. Identify each using a book or information on the Internet.

Carve a squash.

Most people only carve pumpkins for Halloween, but why stop there? Take a trip to the grocery store, and have your child examine squash — acorn, butternut, spaghetti — then choose one. Carve or decorate it using a theme of your choice. It’s a neat way to encourage thinking outside the box.

Make a fall collage.

Invite your child to collect leaves, pinecones, pine needles, etc., and arrange them on a large piece of poster board. She can organize them by color, create patterns, or separate and label each item individually. It makes a unique Thanksgiving decoration.

Please see the link below to access the complete article from Scholastic!

Autumn in Action

FOOD DRIVE Please donate to our District’s Food Drive!

Otsego is responsible for collecting Mashed Potatoes & Cranberry Sauce

Parent Talk Autumn in Action The season’s colors and textures provide a harvest of natural playthings to collect, observe, and manipulate.

Autumn is a time of changing rhythms and patterns that provides a lovely opportunity for children to learn about the cycles of our planet. Kids can interact with its unique wonders by strolling through leafy lanes, admiring the rough texture of pinecones, and helping you carve pumpkins and other gourds that are abundant now. The activities on this page invite your child to engage in autumn’s splendors in simple ways that inspire imagination.

PARP PARP Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Yaris, Mrs. Castiglia, and the Otsego PTA for a wonderful month of literacy activities!