2021-22 Respect, Responsibility, and Regard

3.24.22

Dates for the Calendar

Friday, March 25th - Grades 1-5 Student Progress Reports Go Live Within
Powerschool
Monday, March 28th - Mask-Optional Reinstated
Friday, April 1st - Bishop Spirit Day
Sunday, April 10th- Bishop Cultural Fest 2-4PM
Monday, April 11th-Thursday, April 14th - Staff Appreciation Week

Hello Bishop Families! I hope this Update finds you well.

As we continue to push through the latest surge, Nurse Martin and I have made the decision
to extend our mask mandate through tomorrow, Friday, March 25th. We will reinstate
Mask-Optional, Monday, March 28th.

Student Progress Reports Go Live

Student progress reports will go live tomorrow, March 25th at 2:30pm. You can access your
child’s report through your parent portal within Powerschool. If you have challenges
accessing said report, please contact the main office for support.

Nurse Martin’s Health and Safety Update

Hello Bishop Families,
Thank you to everyone for your assistance and support over the past two weeks as we have
navigated through an increased number of COVID cases. We are seeing the numbers
continue to decrease however, there is still COVID in our community and as we have seen,
this can spread quickly given the right circumstances. As we move forward, we ask that you
continue to test your child for COVID if they are not feeling well- even if the symptoms are
very mild (and can often be confused with seasonal allergies or a cold). We will continue
with our pooled testing program and at-home testing program and ask that you continue to
test your child on Thursday or Friday of each week.
My Best,
Katie

Bishop Cradles to Crayons Drive

My name is Elena Wisniewski and I am an alumna of the organization, Project 351, and a
Arlington High School student. Through Project 351, students work together to support their
communities and help them grow. Currently, Project 351 is collaborating with Cradles to
Crayons, a non-profit group, to give clothes to children in need. At Bishop Elementary
School, I am starting a clothing drive for those children who need help. The drive will start
on the 28th of March and end on the 7th of April. On Monday morning, there will be a box
in the lobby where students can drop off donations to Cradles to Crayons.
For this drive, we are looking for children’s clothing that is new or gently used.
Consider donating to the drive if you find clothing that you would like to give away. If you
have any questions or concerns, please contact me at arlington351@gmail.com.

Bishop Cultural Fest - Sponsored by the Bishop Diversity and

Inclusion Group
All Bishop students, families, and teachers/staff are invited to participate in a Cultural
Festival hosted by the Bishop Diversity and Inclusion Group (DIG) on Sunday April 10, 2022
from 2-4 p.m at the Bishop School. You and your Bishop students can participate by
hosting a table about your culture (ex. your country of origin, ethnicity, religion, or other
aspect of your identity like being an environmentalist, feminist, or animal lover.)

Members of the committee are happy to match you with another Bishop family if you would
like to co-host a table. You and your Bishop students can also participate through a
performance that reflects your cultural background (ex. dance, song, musical instrument,
recitation etc.)

If you would like to help in a general way (ex. set-up/clean-up, bring food that represents
your cultural background, serve food, help craft decorations ahead of the event), you can do
that too!

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact the Bishop DIG at
bishopdig@gmail.com. We can't wait to see you at Cultural Fest 2022, and we thank you in
advance for your participation!
Please sign-up as soon as possible (by April 1, 2022) via this link :
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A4EA4AA2FA2FE3-bishop
 Grades 3, 4, and 5 MCAS administration will commence late March and
run through May. Families with students in the identified grades can access this
year’s MCAS schedule HERE

Bishop - March Spirit Days

Please refer to this March Spirit Day Calendar for upcoming fun spirit days at Bishop.
Tomorrow is College Day- wear your favorite college colors or gear!

The Arlington Tenant-Homeowner Assistance Fund will provide rental and

mortgage assistance to Arlington households that have been impacted by the economic
instability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To be eligible, applicants must:

● Be an Arlington, MA resident with a primary residence in Arlington.

● Have experienced a financial hardship related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
● Be or have been unable to make rent or mortgage payments due to this financial
hardship.

The pre-application is open now through April 13 th. The pre-application and additional
information are available at www.arlingtonma.gov/ARPA.

Arlington Education Foundation 5K Race

The Arlington Education Foundation has announced its first annual AEF 5K Run on Sunday,
May 15th. This important fundraiser for AEF celebrates education in Arlington. P roceeds will
directly enrich the educational experience of Arlington’s children by funding grants across
the school district. In person and virtual runners of all ages are welcome, and discounts are
available for local running clubs. Space is limited, so register now and share the news!
Arlington Public Schools LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Task Force
Dear Arlington Public School Families,

The Arlington Public Schools LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Task Force, the Arlington LGBTQIA+
Rainbow Commission, and the Arlington Human Rights Commission proudly present a series
of LGBTQIA+ Community Conversations Focused on community-wide education and the
amplification of student voices and leadership in Arlington Public SchoolsArlington

Town Hall | 730 Massachusetts Avenue

Tuesday, March 29th and Tuesday, April 26th

Sessions begin promptly at 6.45 p.m.

REGISTER HERE

Join us for a discussion featuring: a panel highlighting the experiences of LGBTQIA+ students
in Arlington Public Schools; an overview of LGBTQIA+ language, definitions and terms; and
best practices to ensure and promote safe, inclusive learning environments for LGBTQIA+
students, staff, and caregivers

To view the actual flier, click on the following link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GrDcksJtGzI7-ezK-SCyXWTjk7CI6QE4/view?usp=sharing

BISHOP PTO NEWS AND UPDATES

Get Involved with the Bishop PTO!

The PTO is beginning to plan for the AY2022-2023 school year and will need to replace
several outgoing board members in the positions listed below. All positions serve a two-year
term. In addition to the duties described below, all officers are required to attend monthly
board meetings and every other month PTO Community meetings held during the school
year.

Co-President: Presides over meetings of the PTO and PTO executive board, serving
as the primary contact for the principal. The Co-President also represents the PTO at
meetings outside the organization and manages and coordinates the work of all the
officers and committees. This role would be working in partnership with the
Co-President (Anna Pisania).

Co-Treasurer: 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, and paying out funds in accordance with the approval of the
executive board. This role would be working in partnership with the Co-Treasurer
 (Lindsay Pacheco). Strong preference for someone with a finance or accounting
background.

Fundraising Coordinator. The Fundraising Coordinator oversees and schedules PTO

fundraising events with the Co-Presidents, generates ideas for future events, and
manages ongoing fundraising initiatives.

Room Parent Coordinator. The Room Parent Coordinator oversees and organizes
the Room Parents, who volunteer in the classrooms. The Room Parent Coordinator
assists the room parents with their activities as well as connects the Room Parents
with PTO events and news. The Room Parent Coordinator also plans staff
appreciation efforts such as holiday gifts and Staff Appreciation Week events.

Communications Coordinator. The Communications Coordinator is the public

relations coordinator for the PTO, focused on getting out the news of the PTO's work;
will create updates for the Principal’s Newsletter; and handle all correspondence.

Please contact BishopPTO@gmail.com if you are interested in any of the above listed
positions. We are happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Ms. Bell’s Class is Looking for Donations for Arlington EATS

Ms. Bell’s class recently had a visit from Susan from Arlington EATS. They learned about the
organization’s mission to eliminate food insecurity by providing nutritious food in a respectful
and compassionate manner to any Arlington resident in need.
The class decided to help the organization by collecting items for the EATS MARKET. Please
support them by bringing any donations to Ms. Bell’s classroom. The market is currently
asking for canned soups, almond butter, cereal (especially Cheerios), soy sauce, dish soap,
laundry detergent, shampoo, soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste.
Thank you for supporting this wonderful community resource! If you are interested in
assistance from Arlington Eats, visit arlingtoneats.org to order food or sign up to shop at the
market.

Bishop Spirit Day

Friday April 1, 2022
On April 1st and the first Friday of every month, students have the chance to showcase their
Bishop Pride. Students are encouraged to wear their Bishop spiritwear or Bishop school
colors (yellow/gold and blue). Bishop spirit wear is available for purchase on the PTO
website (http://www.bishopschoolpto.com/).

Bishop Science Night

Wednesday May 4th, 2022
Science Night is BACK!
Join us for an evening of science including live demonstrations, posters presentations by our
Junior Scientists and the famous egg-drop competition! More details to come in the next
few weeks. In the meantime, get your child(ren) thinking of experiments they may want to
share for the poster presentation!
**Please note that the PTO Community Meeting previously scheduled for that night, will be
moved to the following week.

PTO Dollars at Work

To date, the PTO has spent a total of $46,339.85. The below graph shows the
breakdown of our spending.

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

Run for Education in Arlington — AEF’s 1st Annual 5K

Be a part of history — register for the first annual AEF 5K Run to celebrate education in
Arlington and raise funds for the Arlington Education Foundation.
WHEN: Sunday, May 15, 2022, 8:00am
WHERE: Starting behind Ed Burns Arena, making a loop, including parts of the Minuteman
Bike Trail
WHO: Virtual and in-person runners of all ages
Early bird discount available through April 15th! Register today!

Fit Girls at Bishop

7 Wednesdays & 6 Fridays
April 1 - May 25, 2:40 - 3:40 pm
Join coach Aly Frank for 7 weeks of running fun! Fit Girls is a non-competitive fitness
initiative that inspires active lifestyles, friendships, personal growth and the confidence
that comes from working toward and achieving goals. We meet twice a week for fun
and energizing sessions that build physical and mental endurance and prepare us for
an optional 5K road race that we will run as a team on Sunday, May 15. Team t-shirts are
included. This program is inclusive of individuals identifying as transgender, non-binary,
and gender nonconforming. Grades 4-5, $129 register online

Tuition assistance is available for students who receive free or reduced lunch. Please call
the ACE office before registering: 781-316-3568

Children and Young Adult Book Sale at Robbins Library

Saturday, March 26th, 9am – 1pm
Community Room, Robbins Library
Support Arlington’s libraries by purchasing children’s and teen books, movies, and music at
the sale. There will be craft activities to keep children occupied as parents search for books.
Come browse all the wonderful picture books, early readers, chapter books, books for
teens, puzzles and games, and more! Please bring donated items to the Robbins Library-
look for the big blue bin near the Circulation Desk. Lots of great books for inexpensive
prices- children’s hardcovers for $1.00 and paperbacks for 50 cents. See you at the Sale!

Arlington Heights Spring Window Painting

Arlington residents are invited to participate in the Arlington Heights Spring Storefront
Window Painting Event, which will take place on Saturday, May 7th, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
(Rain date, Saturday, May 14, 9:00 am --1:00 pm) Paint a window by yourself or grab your
friend or family and paint a window together in one of 52 designated storefront windows in
21 Heights businesses.
Designs must have a spring theme - flowers, trees, birds, insects, etc. We also invite
community painters to go beyond painting the beauty of spring blooms by including simple
messages and/or steps that people can take to protect our environment and promote
eco-diversity in their yards and town wide. 
The paintings will remain on display throughout the spring and be featured at the Spring
Fling Festival on Saturday, May 21 st, which will include walking tours of the painted windows,
live music, an Arts Pop-Up Market, activities for kids including crafts, a puppet show, and a
“Touch-a-Truck” sponsored by the Arlington Fire & Police Departments, and a variety of
information tables on how to ensure environmental sustainability.

For more information and to register for this event online click here:  www.arlcc.org.
Registration opens Monday, March 28th.

Organized by the Arlington Heights Community Association, the Arlington Chamber of

Commerce, and the Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture.

Varallo Orthodontics Partners in Education Program

At Varallo Orthodontics, we love giving back to our community in any way we can! Varallo
Orthodontics has started the Partners in Education Program, or P.I.E. For every patient in
grades K-8 who starts orthodontic treatment with us, we will donate $25 to the patient’s
school PTO. To schedule a free consultation or find out more, visit us at varalloortho.com.

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