Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. 
Graham & Parks | November 22, 2016

This School Welcomes All!
On Tuesday, November 22, just before Thanksgiving break, students and their families were surprised to find a large group of G&P teachers and staff welcoming them with signs and music at the front door. Hear more >> 

Last Call: Sibling Registration for Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten! 
By Lauren Morse, Family Liaison
Do you have a younger child who is ready to start Kindergarten at G&P? If your younger child was born between September 1st, 2012 and March 31st, 2013, your child will be eligible for Junior Kindergarten. If your child will be 5 years old by August 31st, 2017, your child will be eligible for Kindergarten. Don’t miss this opportunity – you can receive “sibling preference” but only if you apply during the January Lottery. G&P families can submit applications for younger siblings to Lauren Morse, the Family Liaison at Graham & Parks, rather than at the Family Resource Center. Please contact Lauren at [email protected] or 617.349.6577 x115 to start the sibling registration process. NOTE: Sibling applications for JK and K are Due January 6th, 2017 but the process can take some time so it’s best to start early!

G&P's First Math Week a Great Success
By Claire Dahill, Math Coach, and Lisa Tague, G&P Parent
For the first time, G&P celebrated math with a week-long agenda of activities in November. Every morning there were new puzzles and displays in the Main Lobby for students and parents. Learn more >>



Gratitude for the Fire Fighters
The Graham & Parks community wanted to express our appreciation and admiration to the brave Fire Fighters from 22 different cities and towns who came to assist during the massive fire in East Cambridge last week. G&P students have been making thank you cards to each Fire Department that was involved. Our hearts go out to all of the families that have been affected. If you would like to support the relief efforts, you can donate to the Mayor’s Fire Relief Fund online at www.cambridgema.gov/firefund.



Staff Spotlight:
Jennifer (Ife) Rollins
Get to know our new nurse Ife with this handy Q&A!
Read on >>

Library News
As usual, lots has been happening in the library lately.
–Kindergartners at G&P recently got to sign up for their own library cards for the Cambridge Public Library.
–Some first graders have been learning about people who make the world better by helping trees. Others have been learning about decomposition and documenting changes to a jack-o-lantern over time.
–Some second graders are working on an online Landforms Glossary, complete with text, illustrations, and audio narration. Others are writing their own tiny books, in the style of The Library Mouse.
–Third graders have been learning about library navigation and how to find books they like independently.
–Fourth and fifth graders are eagerly devouring books on the MA Children's Book Award list. Many are also eagerly devouring cookies at our weekly Chat & Chew book discussions.

Did you know that parents are invited to visit the library before school (every day except Wednesdays) and after school to check out books for family reading? Grownups can even get their own library accounts. Right now, we have a large display of biographies about changemakers that make inspiring read-alouds.

CSEdWeek is December 5-11th!
"Don't just play on your phone, program it!"
- President Barack Obama

Join us in celebrating Computer Science Education Week! CSEdWeek is a worldwide effort to invite learners of all ages to learn more about Computer Science. At Graham and Parks, students and teachers are encouraged to try the Hour of Code - activities designed by educational technology organizations to engage participants in different coding challenges. Check out https://code.org/learn to see all the activities available!

Here are some favorites to try out!

Grades K-2
Kodable: https://hourofcode.com/kodable-pre 
ScratchJr: https://hourofcode.com/sjsunset

Grades 2 & Above
Scratch: https://hourofcode.com/scratchanim 
Star Wars: https://hourofcode.com/star-wars 
Minecraft: https://hourofcode.com/mchoc

 Try these "unplugged" activities that don't require any devices! Help students learn to break problems down into smaller steps and communicate clearly - both essential skills in the field of Computer Science. https://code.org/curriculum/unplugged

For more information on this initiative, please watch the Hour of Code overview video: http://bit.ly/1GH7P6r



What's Happening in Our Classrooms...
Hear what's been going on in some of our G&P classrooms lately! Read more >>

Get Involved at G&P!
FCEP - Family Cultural Exchange Program
We will be having our "Second Friday Coffee" at Bourbon Coffee on Friday, December 9th. All G&P parents are welcome to join us. We are a group of G&P parents from around Cambridge and around the world who get together to talk, enjoy each other's company, ask questions and share ideas about school related events and life in Cambridge. We will meet on December 9th in the school lobby at 8:30AM and walk together to Bourbon Coffee at 1815 Mass Ave. You can also meet us at the coffee shop if you prefer. We have a lot of fun and we hope you will join us this month!

Friends of G&P
–This year Friends of Graham & Parks is selling limited edition shirts, hats, and hoodies to celebrate our togetherness and solidarity as a school! This was inspired by the 30th Anniversary of the Friends of Graham & Parks. The image represents one world – one school learning together and supporting one another. They will be unveiled at our Pop-Up shop in the Main Lobby on Monday, December 12th. We will be selling t-shirts, hoodies and hats during the morning at drop-off and in the afternoon at pick-up. We accept cash and credit cards.
–Save the dates: Our second annual G&P Dance-a-thon will be on Saturday, January 28th. Also, this spring, we will be hosting a G&P Rummage Sale. Please save your like-new and good condition household items, clothing and toys. Proceeds will go back into the classrooms.
–Please note that the Movie Night that was scheduled for Friday, December 9th has been postponed. Stay tuned for a new date!

Steering Committee
The next G&P Steering Committee meeting is on Thursday, December 8th from 5:30-7:30PM. We are having an overview and discussion about the SEI Program at G&P. The purpose is to gain a common understanding of the SEI program to set the stage for work towards increasing the integration of SEI Families into the school community and building stronger ties between the SEI and General Education programs at G&P. The Steering Committee discusses school-wide policies and plans and is made up of 5 elected parents, 5 elected teachers and the G&P administration. The meetings are open to the G&P community and any G&P parent is welcome (and encouraged!) to come, observe and participate. Childcare and transportation support are provided, upon request by emailing Lauren at [email protected].

In Our Community
Baby U
Are you a mother or father of a child 3 years old or younger? Do you live in north or west Cambridge? If so, Baby U would like to connect with you. We offer a 14 week series of workshops and playgroups that meet on Saturday mornings. Call 617.349.6204 for more info or email us at: [email protected].

Movement & Yoga for Parents & Children
Saturday, December 17, 10:30-11:30AM, Center for Families, 70 Rindge Ave.
A movement-based class for parents and children ages 4-8 years old, where they do relaxing exercises and yoga together. Please wear comfortable clothes. All families must register. To register, contact Christine at 617.349.3003 or [email protected].

ATASK
ATASK is a nonprofit, community organization serving Pan-Asian survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence. We provide services in Greater Boston and Greater Lowell and offer limited assistance in other cities throughout Massachusetts and New England. We currently provide services in 17 Asian languages and dialects. Our mission is to prevent domestic and intimate partner violence in Asian families and communities and to provide hope to survivors. We offer services in: Bangla, Cantonese, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Shanghainese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer (Cambodian), Korean, Lao, Manipuri, Mien, Nepali, Tagalog (Filipino), Thai, Urdu and Vietnamese. Call our 24-hour multilingual helpline 617.338.2355 for the following:
–Information about domestic and intimate partner violence
–Safety planning
–Emotional support
–Crisis screening & triage
–Information about community resources
–Referral to an ATASK advocate

Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mass Bay is now enrolling youth in Cambridge, ages 7-12 for their Community Based program. Youth in this program will be matched with a Big Brother/Sister for a minimum of 1 year and hang out twice a month, for about 2-4 hours. The focus is on free or low cost activities. Some of our matches go to the park, museums, or play sports together! For more information on how to get your child involved, reach out to Jenny Bautista, Community Engagement and Recruitment Coordinator at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mass Bay, [email protected], 617.956.0205.