2021

2.4.21
Dates for the Calendar

• Bishop Read-A-Thon - Monday, February 8th through Sunday, February 28th

• No School (Winter Break) - Monday, February 15th - Friday, February 19th

Respect, Responsibility, and Regard

Bishop Health and Safety Update

Hello Bishop Families,
I hope that this finds you well!
We have completed our pilot round of pool testing for Bishop students and staff and are so excited
that we had NO positive results!
Pool testing is just one more strategy that we will use to help keep ourselves and our community safe.
The kids were all absolute rock stars and in a few weeks, this will be just another part of our routine,
like hand washing and wearing a mask.
A few important points about our pool testing program:

• If you have not yet signed up your child, you can do so by clicking HERE
• Our testing program is an OPT OUT program. You will not need to sign up your
child each week. If you wish for them to not test on a particular day, then please
notify the school nurse and classroom teacher the day before testing.
• Weekly testing will begin the week of 2/22 for all students and staff that choose to
participate.
• Cohort A and D students will test on Mondays; Cohort B students will test on
Thursdays
• Children that are in quarantine will not be tested unless determined by the school
nurse and principal that this is indicated.
• A helpful video to watch about pool testing.

February Break and out of state travel reminders:

Please remember that it is the policy of Arlington Public Schools that if you travel out of state then
you are required to quarantine for 10 full days after your return. This applies to ALL travel including a
day trip to ski in NH or a week in VT. If your family will be traveling during the break, please let Mark,
Katie and your child’s classroom teacher know so that we can advise you of your child’s return to in
person learning date.
Super Bowl Sunday: Whether you are there for Team Brady or the commercials, please be mindful
that indoor events with people from outside of your immediate household are not without risk. If you
are having or attending a gathering, please review guidance from the CDC.
Thank you all for everything that you are doing to help keep our school and community safe. This is a
team effort and only works when we are in this together-
WIth Kind Regards,
Katie

It's time for the Bishop Elementary School Read-A-Thon!

This year, we are excited to announce that we will hold a Read-A-Thon fundraiser. Our Read-A-Thon is
a program that brings students together with family and friends to encourage reading and to build
literacy skills. The main focus of the Read-A-Thon is for everyone to know we are committed to
improving reading skills. To that end, the Read-A-Thon promises to be a fun, exciting journey for all
participants as they begin a personal Reading Adventure that challenges each reader to complete
reading sessions over our 3-week event.
The Bishop Read-A-Thon will start Monday February 8, 2021. We understand that, as parents, you
have high expectations for the quality of your child’s education but also have limited time. That’s why
we chose to hold a Read-A-Thon. You will find this to be the easiest fundraiser possible. By simply
activating your reader’s personal page and using the promotional tools found there, friends and
family anywhere in the world can show their support for your reader by making a donation to our
Read-A-Thon. Your involvement in the Read-A-Thon will help your child develop a lasting love of
reading. We hope each one of you will activate your child’s personal page.

You Can Register Now. Go to: https://www.read-a-

thon.com/readers/r/RRljiB
It only takes a minute to sign up and it will really help us meet our financial needs to raise funds for
Bishop! How It Works:

• Activate your account at the link above.

• Use the easy online tools to tell friends and family about our Read-A-Thon.
• Track and log at home reading sessions online.
• That's it!

Please be on the lookout for additional information from your child(ren)s teacher(s) and class
parent(s). You can also find information on the Bishop PTO Facebook page and the PTO Website.
Thanks so much and happy reading!

Rainbow Alliance Club

The Rainbow Alliance Club creates a safe space for the LGBTQ+ and ally community to develop skills to
support and express diversity. The goal of this club is to establish a foundation of respect and
understanding of all people.
Virtual Family and Friends Evening!
Thursday 2/11 at 6:00pm-7:00pm
All are welcome to join us for an evening of community and connection!
INVITE/LINK FLYER

A Message From the APS Mathematics Department - RE: Dreambox Usage - Family Letter
APS Kindergarten Registration Information Letter to Families

BISHOP PTO NEWS

Get Involved with the Bishop PTO!
We have an immediate need for a Co-Treasurer for the remainder of the 2020/2021 school year. Basic
duties include, but are not limited to, receiving all funds of the PTO, keeping an accurate record of
receipts and expenditures, filing yearly state/federal taxes, attending monthly board meetings, and
paying out funds in accordance with the approval of the executive board. This role would be working
in partnership with the Senior Co-Treasurer (David Brecht) and the term would end June 2022. Strong
preference for someone with a finance or accounting background.
Please contact BishopPTO@gmail.com if you are interested in the Treasurer position. We are happy
to answer any questions that you may have.

5th Grade Recognition Planning Begins

The planning for 5th Grade Recognition has begun and we hope to make it as special and memorable
as possible. If you are interested in joining the planning, please email Katie Stencik at
kastencik@gmail.com or Amanda Maltais at aemaltais@gmail.com

Community News:
Interested in getting information to the Bishop community? Information that you’d like to share with
the Bishop community can be included in the weekly Principal’s Update. Please email the relevant
information to Amanda Maltais (Communications Coordinator, Bishop PTO) at aemaltais@gmail.com.

Show Our Teachers Some Love With Valentine Stars!

February in New England can be a dreary time so send your child's teacher(s) some warm fuzzies with
a Valentine Stars certificate. Your child's teacher gets a Stars certificate from you and the Arlington
Education Foundation receives your donation and puts it to work to support the teachers we all value
- a true love fest for all!
A donation of $20 for an individual teacher or $60 for a Learning Communities at OMS and Gibbs by
Wednesday, Feb 10 will ensure Valentine's Day delivery.
Get a Star here: https://www.aefma.org/stars

Arlington High School Partners with Tree-Plenish

Arlington’s High School’s Do Something Club has recently partnered with the organization Tree-
Plenish to offset the high school’s paper usage by planting trees. Anyone in the Arlington Community
can order a tree that will be planted in their yards in the spring. The organization is a nonprofit, as is
this specific project. It’s completely safe and is a great way to get involved in the community and help
save the environment! For specific details please see https://www.tree-plenishevents.org/arlington.

Arlington EATS Annual Fundraiser

Arlington EATS annual fundraiser will be going virtual again this winter! The Bishop basket theme is
the Bishop Bear “hibernating” and so are we in our individual homes, so bid on this basket of the
Arlington restaurant and bakery gift cards to use while your family is “hibernating” this winter.
The basket will contain a bear with an Arlington t-shirt, as well as a bunch of gift cards to restaurants
in Arlington. We will not be asking restaurants to donate, as this has been a hard year for the
restaurants business. Instead please consider teaming up with a few families to support both
Arlington EATS and local businesses in Arlington by purchasing a gift card for the Bishop Basket, which
will be auctioned off at the Arlington EATS annual fundraiser. Feel free to
email wendyelverson@gmail.com with any questions.

Arlington EATS Market

Arlington EATS' mission is to eliminate food insecurity by providing nutritious and culturally
appropriate food in a respectful and compassionate manner to any Arlington resident in
need. Arlington EATS estimates there are 4,350 food insecure neighbors here in Arlington. Please
help your neighbors if you are able by helping to fill the shelves at the EATS MARKET. You can either
bring donations to the collection bins in the Bishop front entrance or by donating directly to the
Market on Tuesdays 1-4 PM. You can also make a monetary donation directly to the Market here.
This month, the Market really needs instant oatmeal, almond butter, and mac-and-cheese.
Arlington Eats Market Coordinators: Sarah Popper at sarahepopper@gmail.com and Julie Kahn-
Schaye at jkschaye@gmail.com
Please contact us with any questions or to volunteer to help!

Arlington Youth Counseling Center Fundraiser

This year marks an important milestone for AYCC, as they celebrate 50 years of outstanding mental
health care and compassionate service to Arlington’s youth and families. They wish they could
celebrate their golden anniversary with the community.. However, in lieu of their annual gala, you
can renew your commitment to AYCC by supporting their “50k for 50 Years” fundraising campaign.
Now, more than ever, in the face of so much uncertainty, families in Arlington are turning to AYCC for
help—whether for accessible, affordable and high-quality mental health services, or for help with
basic resource needs.
Please visit their website www.aycc50.org to make a donation and to learn more about their
campaign. They will share stories and highlight the many ways that AYCC has impacted the lives of
young people and families over the past 50 years.
They are deeply grateful for your ongoing support and wish you and your loved ones continued
wellbeing and safety during these challenging times.

Arlington Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Meeting Schedule

Members of the Bishop community are invited to join any of the upcoming SEPAC meetings for the
year. Please see the meeting schedule and Zoom link below:

• February 9th: Evening Meeting (7-8pm)

• March 9th: Morning Meeting (9-10am)
• April 13th: Evening Meeting (7-8pm)
• May 11th: Morning Meeting (9-10am)
• June 8th: Evening Meeting (7-8pm)

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86234778319?pwd=ZDFPdDNZZjZxbXVwNUYyZDR1VjJsUT09

Meeting ID: 862 3477 8319
Passcode: 043991

Stay Up to Date
 Bishop PTO Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BishopPTO/
Websites:
Bishop School (general info, links to the school system): http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/bishop/
Bishop School (news and events): https://bishopschool.net/
Bishop PTO: http://www.bishopschoolpto.com/
DIG website: https://bishopdig.weebly.com/. To join our mailing list, please email
bishopdig@gmail.com
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