The Connection

The Weekly Newsletter of IACS-MS

 

From the Principal

 

October 16^th, 2009

 

Dear Families:

 

This week, two hundred 5/6 students along with 50 chaperones embarked upon the shores of Plymouth to explore what life was like for early settlers and the native Wampanoag tribe in Massachusetts of 1627. Students interviewed the colonists in their village at Plimoth Plantation to learn more about daily life and toured the Mayflower II, trying to imagine what that journey must have felt like to early settlers. We toured the Wampanoag homestead, observing traditional cooking and crafts. Students also interviewed a tribe member to learn more about agriculture and hunting & fishing and used our math skills to write a real-life word problem which utilized this information. Dinner was a tasty, traditional, bicultural adventure of turkey, venison sabahag, asamp (cornmeal and fruit), pompion (pumpkin dish), Shrewsbury cakes, and mint tea. 

 

Whilst diving into this historical adventure, students also made new friends and bonded over surviving the cold and sometimes rainy weather and sleeping overnight. Thank you to all teachers and families that made this enriching trip happen for the 5/6 students, and special thanks to Sara Krakauer and Katy Lianos, the trip organizers.

 

Enjoy the fruits of fall!

 

Sincerely,

Melissa Kapeckas

 

News and Happenings

Morning Drop-Off: Students can be dropped off at the school beginning at 7:40 each morning.  There is no supervision before this time, and students will not be allowed into the building before 7:40.  Please help us keep students safe and supervised by honoring this drop-off time. 

String Ensemble: Come join an after school String Ensemble:  Do you play a string instrument and would like to be a part of an ensemble?  Julia Harmon, a string teacher from Billerica, is putting together an after school string orchestra on Tuesdays.  We need all types of strings:  Violins, violas, cellos and basses and all levels of skill.  Please e-mail Julia at cellofish@yahoo.com for more information. 

TRICK-OR-TREAT with Box Tops!

 October marks the first Box Tops submission deadline for the school year - so we want to be sure we gather up ALL those box tops folks have been saving over the summer.  Send in your Box Tops to either the office or the collection box in the lunch room.  BE SURE to include your NAME AND HOMEBASE/ADVISORY with your submission.  We'll reward all contributions with a small (non-food) "treat" to recognize you for your efforts.

 Also - a reminder to register on BoxTopsForEducation.Com.  They have a terrific SHOP option that earns money for the school when you start your online shopping at BTFE.COM.  No coupons to clip, receipts to save, or refunds to submit .  Simply register, start your online shopping at BTFE, and the school will automatically recieve a percentage of your purchase in cash!

 If you have any questions or suggestions - contact Kate Conran 978-244-1244 kateconran@hotmail.com

 THANKS for your participation in this program!

 

Sexual Health Curriculum Meeting:

On Monday, November 2^nd, from 6-7pm there will be a meeting for parents to discuss the curriculum for the Sexual Health unit. All middle school students will have the opportunity to participate, at some point during this school year, in the sexual health unit.  These classes are part of health education classes and are taught by the health education/wellness teachers. 

 

Prior to participating in these health classes all parents will be asked to return a signed consent form indicating their desire to have their child participate (or not) in the sexual health unit.  These forms will be available at the meeting.

 

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the program, please plan on attending the meeting.  This meeting is an opportunity for parents to see first hand what information will be discussed in the classes.  It is also a wonderful forum for parents discuss thoughts, concerns, etc. with other middle school parents concerning this very important topic.

 

SAVE THE DATE!!!!  IACS SCHOOL SPIRIT NIGHT:

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21^st 6:30 -8:30 PM

This will be a great event for folks of all ages, so invite your families, parents, siblings, teachers and friends to come out for an evening of music and entertainment!  Held in the IACS Auditorium, there will be trivia and prizes, with live musical entertainment performed by Jim Zaroulis and Dave Ayotte. Come join the fun!  Tickets are just $2, BUT SEATING IS LIMITED!  You can purchase your tickets during lunch from the main office or complete the ticket flyer that is attached to this week’s Connection and return it to the office.  You can also contact Ellen DiPasquale with questions or for further information 978-479-9778, etdipasquale@comcast.net.  We look forward to seeing you there.

 

Drama Production: You and your family will not want to miss the first IACS High School drama production in our beautiful auditorium!  We will proudly present Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" on December 4 and 5 at 7:00pm.  Tickets are $10 each and are available now.  Please read the ticket order form for more information.  We will probably sell out quickly, so order yours today!

 

IACS Athletics:

Access our NEW Athletics website from the Innovation Academy Charter School home-page for more information.  Click “Athletics” on the drop-down menu.

 

Interest Meeting & Basketball Sign-ups/Tryouts

Interest Meeting –

Who: All 7/8 & HS boys and girls interested in playing basketball for IACS

Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Time: 3:10-3:30pm

Where: High school – room B-53

What: Plan to attend, as important information will be presented.

 

7/8 Boys and Girls Basketball Sign-ups/Tryouts**

Dates: October 21^st - 30^th (1.5 weeks)

Location: Athletics/wellness bulletin board in the 1^st floor hallway in the middle school. 

Paperwork*: All required paperwork is turned in BEFORE tryouts begin.

Tryouts: Begin Monday, November 2^nd.

* - Athletes will not be eligible to tryout if paperwork is not turned in.  No exceptions.  Do not wait, get it done NOW!

 

Come cheer on our High School Soccer Team!

HS Boys Soccer

Tuesday, 10/20 @ Dracut High School – 4:00pm

Thursday, 10/22 @ Nashoba Valley Technical High School – 4:30pm

 

HS Girls Soccer

Friday, 10/23 @ Chelmsford High School – 4:00pm

Saturday, 10/24 vs. TYS @ Bridgemeadow Fields (Tyngsboro) – 2:30pm

 

Destination Imagination Information Meeting:

Tuesday, 10/20 at 6:30 PM in the Middle School Commons

Interested students should come with a parent!  We’ll give a short description of the program, answer questions and begin helping kids form teams who are new to DI and/or IACS DI. If you can’t make the meeting, please email the DI School Coordinator: Bryn Dews at dewskb@yahoo.com