2022-23 Respect, Responsibility, and Regard

10.6.22

Dates for the Calendar

- Friday, October 7th: Picture Day!!
- Saturday, October 8th: - METCO Directors Association: Apple Picking!
- Monday, October 10th: - Indigenous Peoples' Day - Schools Closed
- 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!

Picture Day Is Tomorrow, Friday, October 7th!

Thank you to all of you who signed up to volunteer. All of the slots are now full.
A few friendly reminders:

● All children will be photographed regardless of whether you plan to purchase

photos.
● To order photos, please visit www.coffeepond.com and click on the big red button
that says “Order School Portraits.” If you prefer to pay with cash or check, please fill
out the form that was sent home in backpack mail a few weeks ago and send it with
your child(ren) on picture day. Please note that orders placed after picture day may
be subject to a $7 handling fee.
● Photos will arrive 4-6 weeks after picture day. If you are dissatisfied with your
child(ren)’s pictures, there will be a retake day (date TBD). Also, if your child(ren) is
absent this coming Friday, they can have their picture taken on the retake date.
● If your family is in need of scholarship assistance, please reach out to Principal Mark
McAneny at mmcaneny@arlington.k12.ma.us by this Friday.

We look forward to a successful event! If you have any further questions about school
pictures, please email Laura Tikonoff at laura.tikonoff@gmail.com.
 An Invitation From the METCO Directors Association: Apple Picking!
On behalf of the METCO Directors Association (MDA), we invite our families to join us for a
day at Stow Farm. This will be a great opportunity to gather with students and families from
Arlington METCO as well as staff and admin. We hope that you can attend. This Google Form
will take account of who is coming and who will need a ride .

Families will need to purchase their own ticket(s) to the farm. Every family must pay their
own ticket, we will just provide transportation from Franklin Park for those who are
interested:
When: Saturday, October 8, 2022
Where: Honey Pot Hill Orchard, Stow, MA
Time: Bus pick up at 9 am, Farm arrival 10 am. Depart from farm at 2 pm

Click HERE to register!

The due date for families to register is Friday, September 30, 2022 by 5pm!

If you have any questions please let me know

Nikecia Gadson
METCO - Family engagement Liaison
617-943-3155

Health and Safety Information from Nurse Martin

Hello Bishop Families,
In the next couple of weeks, we are going to begin our annual screening program at school.
Each school year, it is mandated that all students in grades K-5 have a vision screening exam
performed at school. Additionally, students in grades K-3 will have a hearing screening exam
done at school. Students in grades 1 and 4 will also be screened for height and weight (BMI).
Students in grade 5 will be screened for postural abnormalities (visual assessment of the
spine) in the Spring.
Parents/guardians may opt their student out of school-based hearing, vision, and postural
screenings for two reasons:

1. The screening conflicts with their religious beliefs.

2. Their student is under the care of a physician for a previously diagnosed condition
that the screening would detect. Please provide documentation to the school nurse.

Parents/guardians may opt out of school-based height and weight (BMI) screening if the
screening conflicts with their sincerely held religious beliefs.
Please click HERE to OPT OUT of screenings.

Please reach out to me at Bishop.Nurse@Arlington.K12.MA.US with any questions.

 Bishop Playground Update - OPENING, Tuesday, October 11th!!
Benches and Tables are being installed today (Thursday), with sealcoating of the blacktop
scheduled, hopefully for sometime next week. If the sealcoating does not happen next
week, this work will be pushed to the spring.
In preparation for the re-opening of the playground, all classrooms will be previewing
playground equipment expectations and safety precautions. This preview will happen
Tuesday morning during our social/emotional learning, morning meeting.

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! This will begin at the end of OCTOBER.

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

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.

To run the event, we need volunteers to help set up, clean up, and to assist with sales.
Please click here to sign up to volunteer at this fun fall event.

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. All students Kindergarten through 5th grade may participate in this fun and
engaging event organized by the PTO.

Register now to help our school raise as much as we can for our school-wide enrichment
programs, classroom funds, school improvement projects, and many other community
initiatives:
●Go to http://pledgestar.com/bishop
●Click “Not Registered For This Year’s Event”
●Enter your name and email address, then click “Submit”
●Follow the 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

When you finish, the system emails pledge requests to your family and friends, and allows
them to make secure credit card donations online. You will be notified each time a pledge is
made, and you can track your pledge progress online.

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

Pledges can also be made by clicking ‘Donate’ on the Bishop School PTO website. Go to
http://www.bishopschoolpto.com/ and be sure to have your friends and family note that
they’re supporting YOUR CHILD(REN) in the Walk-A-Thon. Or you can collect cash or
checks (made payable to Bishop PTO) and send them in via Backpack Mail.

There will be a prize at a later date, for the participating classrooms!

Thank you for supporting the Bishop PTO!

Stay tuned for more information on volunteers coming soon!

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.

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_bkgwI
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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:
Walkathon in October
Pumpkin Sale in October
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.

Special Education Parent Advisory Council Monthly Business Meeting

Tuesday, October 11th, 9:00-10:00am on Zoom

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

Meeting ID: 862 3477 8319

Passcode: 043991

AGENDA
1. Call to Order
2. Approve Minutes
3. Officers/Committee Reports
4. Planning Workshops for the coming year
5. APS Staff Reports
-Presentation on APS Mental Health Screening Initiatives
with Mental Health Assessment & Outreach Coordinator Magali Olander and
District-Wide Social Worker Caroline Rosa
6. Public participation / New business / Open discussion
7. Announcements
8. Adjourn

Arlington Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) is a parent group that acts
as a resource for parents and advises the district regarding meeting the needs of students
with disabilities. We provide support and networking opportunities for parents and
guardians of children with disabilities, offer workshops and guest speakers to help parents
become better informed about special education issues. We meet regularly with school
officials to participate in
the planning, development and evaluation of special education programs in town.
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