2022-23 Respect, Responsibility, and Regard

10.13.22

Dates for the Calendar

- Saturday, October 15th: - Bishop Pumpkin Sale, 10:00am-2:00pm
- Friday, October 21st: Walk-A-Thon
- Sunday, October 23rd: Fall Clean-Up Day, 9:00am-12:00pm

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

Bishop Pumpkin Sale

Saturday, October 15th from 10:00am-2:00pm
Join us at the Bishop Pumpkin Sale to purchase your pumpkins, grab a yummy cider
or doughnut, and support the Bishop School PTO! We will also have Bishop Spirit
Wear available for purchase and can collect Annual Fund donations as well.

We are still looking for volunteers to run the event! Please click here to sign up to
volunteer at this fun fall event.

Newly Created Bishop Garden Newsletter!

I’m excited to announce that Ms. Munsie will be posting a Bishop Garden Newsletter from
time-to-time. Here is the first edition; Enjoy!
 Arlington Public Schools - Community Forum Dates -
Would Love to See You There!

Health and Safety Information from Nurse Martin

Hello Bishop Families-
I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all members of our Bishop community to
stay up to date with their vaccinations as this remains one of the most important ways that
we can help to keep ourselves and our community safe.

The CDC recommends that everyone stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations .
Why and Who should get the bivalent booster?
● The bivalent booster is recommended because it covers omicron variants BA.4 and
BA.5 as well as the original strain.
● The CDC recommends that people ages 12 years and older receive one updated
(bivalent) booster if it has been at least 2 months since their last COVID-19 vaccine
dose, whether that was:
○ Their final primary series dose
○ An original (monovalent) booster
● The bivalent booster was approved by the FDA on 10/12/22 for use in children
ages 5-11 and should be made available in the immediate future.
● You should still get the COVID-19 vaccine even after you have recovered from your
infection. You may consider holding off on your next dose or booster for 90 days from
your positive test/illness.
***It is also recommended that EVERYONE 6 months and older be vaccinated for flu.***

Bishop’s Lost and Found Items

This year we are implementing a monthly lost and found donation program. At the end of
each month, we will donate all items to local charities. If your child has a lost item, please
encourage them to check the lost and found, located in the cafeteria near the recess door.
We will also include daily announcement reminders to students prior to the month’s end. If
we find items that have labels on them, we return them to students, which is a good
reminder to label everything! The first donation will be at the end of OCTOBER (10/28).

The Bishop main website is a great place to find resources and answers to
frequently asked questions. You can also find information about our staff and curriculum.

BISHOP PTO NEWS AND UPDATES

Picture Day Thank You and Follow Up

Thank you to Laura Tikonoff for leading Picture Day, our volunteers, Principal
McAneny, and all Bishop staff who helped to make Picture Day 2022 a success. It
was a picture perfect day!

A Few Reminders:
● You may still order photos online by visiting www.coffeepond.com and
clicking on the big red button that says “Order School Portraits.” However,
 these orders will be subjected to a small handling fee as they are late and will
be processed outside the Bishop school batch.
● No proofs will be provided. You need to place an order to see your child(ren)’s
individual photo.
● If you are dissatisfied with your child(ren)’s picture, there will be a retake day.
Any child absent last Friday will also be able to take their picture on the retake
date. Please stay tuned for that date in the next couple of weeks. If you still
are not satisfied with the individual photo at that time, Coffee Pond does offer
a 100% money back guarantee. You would need to contact Coffee Pond
directly to initiate this process.

Once again, please reach out to Laura Tikonoff at laura.tikonoff@gmail.com with any
questions.

Annual Fund 2022-2023

Historically, the Bishop School PTO funds programs and events to supplement your
children's school experience; to support the teachers, school, and administration;
and to foster a sense of community with the school. These funds are used to cover
items like:
● Grade-specific and school-wide enrichment programs
● Health and safety materials for teachers and students
● Teacher grants for technology, curriculum materials, and other educational
needs
● Online subscriptions for classrooms to support reading, math, spelling, and
science (e.g., Scholastic, Spelling City, etc.)
● Teacher checks and classroom funds
● Classroom supplies (e.g., paper towels, tissues, glue sticks, pencils, sanitizing
wipes, and more)
● Playground and grounds improvements

Donations to the Bishop PTO Annual Fund can be made by any of the following
ways.

We ask families to consider a suggested donation of $135/child. We realize this

amount may not be possible for every family and appreciate any donation amount if
you can contribute.

● PayPal via the PTO Website - http://www.bishopschoolpto.com (please scroll

down and click on the PayPal link in the “Quick Links” section)
● Check payable to “John A. Bishop PTO” (this can be dropped at the Bishop main
office)
Be on the lookout for more information on our Annual Fund coming home via
backpack mail!

Walk-A-Thon!
Friday, October 21st
Get your walking shoes on! Our annual Walk-A-Thon will be held on Friday, October
21st after school. Students from all grades (K-5) may participate in the 15- to
30-minute run/walk!

Getting Started: Set up your personal fundraising page

(https://pledgestar.com/bishop/) and let your family and friends support your
student.

● Click “Not Registered For This Year’s Event.”

● Enter your name and email address, then click “Submit.”
● Follow the instructions to complete your registration.
● Just enter your name and email address and click to register.
● Finish setting up your site by following the on-screen instructions.

*For Android/Apple devices, go to the store, search PledgeStar, or go to the site

below, enter “bishop” and follow instructions
https://pledgestar.com/bishop/downloadapp.html

Your supporters can pay by credit card or send a check - the donation is given a
unique code, so it is credited to the right person. When you finish, the system emails
pledge requests to your family and friends and allows them to make secure credit
card donations online. You get notified each time a pledge is made, and you can
track your pledge progress online.

Call 1-888-598-7510 if you need help.

Walkers: Parents/other caregivers, please arrive at the school at normal pick-up

time. You may walk your child to the field and cheer him/her on during the event.
Our volunteers will be working hard to keep the event running smoothly and can’t
supervise so many children.

Buses: The buses will run at their ordinary times. If your child usually takes the bus
and wants to participate in the Walk-A-Thon, you or another caregiver should plan to
meet your child at the school, cheer him/her on during the event, and take your
child home after it is finished. Our volunteers will be working hard to keep the event
running smoothly and can’t supervise so many children.

Bright Start: Bright Start children CAN participate in the Walk-A-Thon. Bright Start
teachers will be available to supervise your children during the event. Please let
Bright Start know if your child will participate in the Walk-A-Thon.

*Bring your water bottle.

PRIZES WILL BE PROVIDED AT A LATER DATE TO ALL PARTICIPATORY CLASSES!!

Questions or to volunteer: Contact Elisa Komoni (elisa.komoni@gmail.com)

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0F4CAEAD2BA6FB6-bishop1

Fall Clean-Up Day

Sunday, October 23rd from 9:00am-12:00pm
Bring your family and friends and come spruce up Bishop at our Annual Fall
Clean-Up Day! Trash pick up, weeding, edging, and anything else we can do to
beautify the space. We will provide some tools, but please bring anything you have
to help! Gloves, rakes, and clippers are especially helpful. Pizza lunch will be
provided. We hope you can join us to spruce up the Bishop grounds - click here to
volunteer!

Please contact Alex Rehm, alex.rehm@gmail.com, with questions.

Original Works Fundraiser

At a loss for a Christmas present for Aunt Petunia this year? Want a keepsake to
show how artistically-gifted your child was on one of their future milestone
birthdays? Need a mug to make you smile every time you and your co-workers look
at it? This is for you!

The Bishop PTO is excited to announce that Bishop has teamed up with Original
Works to offer an exciting art-based program at our school. Through this program,
you can purchase a variety of products featuring your child’s very own artwork, while
also supporting the Bishop school community.

Look out for the artwork packages that will be sent home shortly via backpack
mail (the return deadline is 11/04/2022). Take a peek at samples on Pinterest!
Samples products that you can purchase will also be on display at the Walkathon on
Friday, October 21st. Support your PTO, and capture a piece of your child’s creativity!

Donations for the SNACK PROGRAM at Bishop Elementary School

As you may know, we have a snack program at Bishop, supported by Arlington EATS
and parent donations. Research shows that students who are consistently hungry
are more likely to face developmental and educational challenges. Our goal is to
provide snacks to any child in need, to those with family financial struggles, those
who forgot snacks, and those who are extra hungry.

We ask that if you can afford snacks, please provide them for your child, knowing
that if they are forgotten one day, we have them covered. If you find your child is
avoiding the snacks you send from home because the snacks in the classroom are
more appealing, please explain to them that those snacks are reserved for those in
need. Each classroom is provided with a snack pack, which is replenished every few
weeks/as needed. You can borrow ideas from the snack program list if your child
finds the classroom snacks more appealing (see link below).

If you have the ability, please support our snack program by purchasing
pre-approved snacks through our Amazon Snack Wishlist. Purchased items will be
sent to the home of Marisa Silveri, our Snack Ambassador. Choose Bishop Snacks
c/o Marisa Silveri in the delivery option. You can also find the Amazon Snack Wish
List link on the PTO website.
Thank you!

Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/QIYTVNJUZHFQ?ref=cm_sw_em_r_un_un
_bkgwI3r8Rsy9u
PTO link: www.bishopschoolpto.com

Bishop PTO News

The PTO executive board and coordinators are working diligently to map a course
for the school year that is fun, familiar, and safe. We hope you’ll join our efforts in
creating great Bishop experiences and memories for our children. Volunteers are
always welcome and appreciated!
This is your organization, and we depend on volunteer support. Volunteering is also
a great way to meet other Bishop families.

A few big events that you can volunteer for and help organize:
● Readathon in February
● Bishop Play in March - help needed as early as November
● Bishop Science Night in April
● Bishop Bear Fair in May

If you would like to get involved, please reach out to us at

bishopschool.pto@gmail.com.

AmazonSmile for Bishop!

Did you know you can sign up for AmazonSmile in just three steps? AmazonSmile
will donate 0.5% of all eligible purchases to Bishop (search for John A. Bishop PTO) at
no cost to you!

In a time when we are ordering more online and donations are more important than
ever, this is an easy way to support Bishop. Also, anyone can add Bishop as a charity
for AmazonSmile, so please forward this information to family and friends who want
to help support our awesome community!

Sign up for Amazon Smile in these three easy steps:

1. Join Amazon Smile (If you’re not already an AmazonSmile member, sign up
on your web browser. Simply select John A. Bishop to start generating
donations, at no cost to you.)
2. Get the app (Download or update the latest version of the Amazon
Shopping app on your phone.)
3. Turn on AmazonSmile (Open the app and find ‘Settings’ in the main menu.
Tap on ‘AmazonSmile’ and follow the on-screen instructions to turn on
AmazonSmile on your phone.)

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 Valerie Geary (Communications Coordinator,
Bishop PTO) at valerie.t.geary@gmail.com.

Arlington EATS
As you do your grocery shopping (and Halloween candy shopping!) please consider
picking up an extra item or two for our local food pantry. Arlington EATS relies upon
community donations for 30% of their market supply. Please place donations in the
marked bins in the front entrance to Bishop School by Friday, October 28.

At this time, it is most helpful if you stick to requests from the following list:

● Cereal (especially Cheerios!)

● Shelf stable soup
● Almond butter
● Snacks (regular sizes, please)
● Soy Sauce
● Shelf Stable Soy Milk or Almond Milk
● Dish soap and laundry detergent
● Personal care items such as shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush
● Incontinence products & diapers (larger sizes are more in demand)

Please do not donate: soda, sports drinks, medications, jumbo or single serving
sizes. If you have any questions or would like to get involved with supporting
Arlington EATS, please contact Sarah Popper at sarahepopper@yahoo.com.
Ski New Hampshire 4th & 5th Grade Passports
This program grants your 4th or 5th grader access to a single use day ticket (or night
ticket where night skiing is allowed) to use at each of the Ski NH ski areas. That's 32
different areas that your child can get out and explore this season for the one-time
purchase of just $59.

This program is open to 4th and 5th graders from near and far--not just New
Hampshire residents! Supplies are limited so don't wait to secure your child's Ski NH
Passport.

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page and our Rules and Regulations page for
additional information.

Be sure to check your email and our social media pages frequently for the most
up-to-date information.

Stay Up to Date

Bishop PTO Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BishopPTO/

Please note that all-school announcements will be posted only to the main PTO
Facebook page. Make sure you have joined both the main page and your child’s
individual class page(s) to receive all information, school-wide and for your child’s
specific grade. You can find your child’s individual class page under the group name
“Bishop Elementary - Class of X” with “X” being the year of graduation from Bishop.

Websites:
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