It is our belief at the Peabody School that educators, parents, and especially children will benefit when our school and families work together as partners. In our endeavor to expand the home-school connection, we seek to support teachers and parents as they negotiate their joint efforts to bring up and educate children in today's world. This ongoing effort is paramount to the success of our young people. They are our future.

ORGANIZATIONS

The Peabody School Council
Mandated by the Massachusetts Education Reform Act, school councils assist principals in identifying the educational needs of students, in reviewing the annual school budget, and in formulating the school improvement plan.

At the Peabody, as with other schools, the council is required to include staff and teachers, parents, and members of the community, as well as reflect the diversity of the school population. The school principal serves as one co-chair and the second co-chair is elected from among the parent members.

The Peabody School Council meets the second Tuesday of every month (except in November). Meetings last for 90 minutes, starting at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are open to the Peabody community-parents and teachers are encouraged to attend.

The Parent Group
Our Parent Group starts in October and typically meets on the third Tuesday of each month from 7:00-8:00 p.m unless an evening curriculum or social event is planned. It's an informal, fun way to meet other parents, share ideas, sip coffee, and support the staff in making the Peabody a wonderful place for our children. All meetings are open to the entire Peabody School.

The Friends of Peabody
The Friends of the Peabody School is a charitable trust dedicated to enriching the educational environment at the Peabody School.  It was formed in the fall of 1990 and each year since them the Friends has solicited funds from parents to be used for the benefit of their children’s classroom, for a specific area such as science, math, art, or the library, or for general purposes.  Teachers and staff make requests which are reviewed and approved by the Friends of Peabody organization.  The Friends of Peabody are recruiting new members to help put out the fall solicitation, make sure all donors are thanked in a timely manner, and to review requests made by teachers and staff.

Room Parents
Each classroom needs two room parents and each September we ask parents to volunteer to fill these positions. Room parents help organize events like field trips, the Staff Appreciation Luncheon, and the annual Peabody Bazaar and Raffle. Room parents provide important information, keep us connected, and may ask other parents to help by setting up a phone tree. Being a room parent is a great way to contribute to the smooth running of your child's classroom.

For more information, please contact your child's teacher.

FAMILY PARTICIPATION

• Wrapping Paper Fundraiser - Each fall, we begin the school year with a wrapping paper fundraiser. The monies collected from these efforts go toward a year-long enrichment of literature. A book fair has also been held during this time. Individual classrooms raise money to buy a book to donate to the school library.
  
• Multi-graded Pot-Luck Suppers - During the month of October, multi-graded pot luck suppers are organized and sponsored by the Friends of Peabody. These pot luck suppers are designed to help parents and their children get to know each other while sharing food and cheer.
  
• Career Day – This is one of the more popular days for the 7th and 8th grade students. Generally held in December, Career Day invites parents in to the classroom to share their various careers with the students. In the past we have had authors, judges, attorneys, artists, photographers, architects, social workers, and carpenters, to name a few.
  
• Music Performances - In the winter and spring, our primary and middle grades perform musical extravaganzas par none. Parents have helped with choreography, costumes, and sets to make these a wonderful display of our talented children. Generally, the auditorium overflows with proud parents and after the performance a pot luck dessert is held in the cafeteria.
  
• Spaghetti Supper - The Peabody School staff hosts a Spaghetti Supper in March each year. The staff gets together to prepare a delicious feast. The Spaghetti Supper attracts many families for a fun social event. Entertainment has also been incorporated into this evening.
  
• Teacher/Staff Appreciation Lunch - Each year, the Peabody parent community sponsors a luncheon for the teachers and staff. Parents are asked to contribute food, drinks, ice, flowers, and/or time to the luncheon for the approximately 100 professionals who now work at the Peabody School.
  
• Annual Peabody Bazaar - In its 52nd year, the Annual Peabody School Bazaar and Raffle is traditionally held on the second Saturday in May, just before Mother's Day. Peabody families and staff work together to make this day an enormous success. There are many ways to help out in preparation and on the day of the event. Contribute items to the White Elephant Sale, Used Clothing Sale, Bake Sale, and the International Foods Family Lunch. All students are asked to sell raffle tickets. Middle school students help to operate rides and man the crafts booths. This celebration is always a lot of fun and is the biggest fundraiser for our school.
  
• Publishing Center - The Publishing Center is located in a teacher work area on the second floor of the school. The concept of establishing a publishing house for the primary grades was developed by the primary staff, interested parents, and the principal. Site visits to existing publishing centers in Chelmsford gave us some insight into how to use space, scheduling parent volunteers, and management issues. The purpose of the Publishing Center is to highlight and encourage student writers while engaging parents in the education process.
  
• Asian New Year Parade and Luncheon - Our students are encouraged to share cultural celebrations with the school community and the Peabody School has many students from Asian countries. During the Asian New Year celebration, primary school students complete artwork, read stories, and welcome guest speakers into their classrooms. The celebration culminates with a grand parade and luncheon for the enjoyment of our students and their parents.

HOME-SCHOOL CONNECTIONS

• Two Annual Open Houses
• Teacher Syllabi
• Parent/Teacher Conferences
• Weekly School Newsletter
• Friday Flyers (paper and e-mail)
• Bimonthly Classroom Newsletters
• Morning Coffees
• Science Fair
• Peabody School Phone Directory
• Peabody School Calendar