The children collectively made a large menorah in art class that is hanging on the wall in the Big Room. The children will “light” each candle each day until the end of Hannukah.

Our annual Scholastic Book Fair has started. We do this for your holiday shopping convenience, so plan to spend a few minutes after drop-off or before pick-up to browse through the selection. If you’re interested in purchasing a book for your child’s classroom, each teacher will be indicating books that she feels will enhance her class’s book collection. Just ask Kate or myself for those choices.

On Monday, December 9, a Christmas tree will grace our Big Room. Each class will make ornaments to decorate that tree, under which we will collect new and gently used toys. Those toys will go to an organization that distributes them to children whose holidays may not otherwise be very bright. In our home, this annual program was a good way (excuse) to clean out toys still in good shape but no longer appreciated, to make way for new toys.

And along those lines… this year we have the opportunity to use some of those same toys for a different type of outreach, while supporting one of our own. Cecilia Groves, Kate’s daughter and Lydia and Sophie’s sister, is earning Student Service Learning hours by collecting new and gently used stuffed toys for use by county police officers and fire fighters when responding to situations involving children. We hope you can join us in either or both of these collections.

Once a year, we have an all-staff party and that day this year is Friday, Dec. 13. While we can provide most of the coverage for the children through our wonderful substitutes, we do need 2 or 3 parent volunteers. The hours would be 1:00 to 2:30. If you’re available to help out with this, please let either your child’s teacher, Kate or myself know as soon as possible. Thank you!

Classroom parties and the Holiday sing along will be Friday the 20th. Be sure to read your classroom newsletter carefully for details about these and lots of other happenings this month.

Remember: No school Monday, December 23 through Wednesday, January 1. Classes will resume Thursday, January 2.