2022-23 Respect, Responsibility, and Regard

11.10.22

Dates for the Calendar

- Friday, November 11th - Schools Closed - Veterans Day

- Bishop Play Performance, Beauty and the Beast - March 24, 25, 26
click here for more info, including a signup link!

Tonight is the deadline to register for the play!!

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

November is Feedback Month for APS! - Let’s All Participate!!

Dear Arlington Public Schools Community,

UPDATED 11.9.22 - APS Climate and Culture Surveys are now LIVE! Please access surveys
for your child’s school at this link. We apologize that translated surveys are not yet loaded
into the system, but they will be ready on November 14th and for the rest of the window. All
surveys will remain open until December 1st, 2022. We use your responses to plan for future
actions and to monitor our progress on work happening in our schools; please take a
moment to complete a survey for each school where you currently have a child enrolled in
APS!

(1) Culture and Climate Surveys: We are striving for 100% participation in this year’s
surveys. Your responses inform our planning at the district and school levels, and we
intend to probe trends with follow-up interviews and other actions. Families with
students in multiple schools are encouraged to fill out a survey for each school their
children attend. Once they launch, surveys will be available until November 23rd,
2022. BISHOP SURVEY LINK - OUR GOAL IS FOR EVERY FAMILY TO COMPLETE
THIS; THANK YOU SO MUCH! - WE’VE GOT THIS!

(2) Community Forums on APS Vision, Equity Audit, and Strategic Plan: We are
pleased to offer four opportunities for families to learn about our new APS Vision,
recommendations from the APS Equity Audit, and to provide feedback on drafts of
our Strategic Planning Initiatives. These interactive forums will take place in-person
 on November 2nd (tomorrow!), November 16th (in Boston), and December 1st from
6-7:30pm and virtually on December 8th from 7-8:30pm. Interested community
members can sign up here or scan the QR code on this flier.
Thank yout,
Dr. Homan

Health Office Update from Nurse Martin

As many of you may know, we are seeing a significant number of children who are absent
from school due to a viral respiratory illness. Children are experiencing fevers, nasal
congestion and cough (that lingers)- they are sick and missing many days of school. The
good news is that we are not seeing a lot of COVID right now.

It is hopeful that we can take what we have learned over the past two plus years from living
with COVID and apply it to our current situation and what is predicted to be a rough winter
for illnesses. Masks can prevent a person from becoming infected as well as to prevent the
spread of infection and should be worn when an individual is symptomatic; handwashing;
vaccinations for COVID-19 and the Flu; and staying home when you are sick.

Our current situation is that there are also many children at school with mild symptoms,
which is allowed per our illness protocol; however, we are not seeing a lot of masks being
worn. We ask that you PLEASE have your child wear a mask if they are experiencing mild
symptoms (nasal congestion, cough, etc) and consider masking your child, especially if they
have underlying health conditions like asthma.

Please take a moment to review our Illness protocol.

The Bishop School will be hosting a COVID-19 Booster Clinic on 11/21/22 from 3-7pm for all
students, families, and staff.

Thank you for helping to keep our community safe.

Nurse Martin
 Arlington Public Schools - Community Forum Dates -
Would Love to See You There!

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.
 Holiday Food Drive for Arlington EATS and Project 351

Project 351 is now partnering with Arlington EATS to run a food drive in our
community. Project 351 is a service organization that instills a passion for leadership,
community, and service to our own communities. Started by Governor Deval Patrick in 2011,
every year Project 351 brings change to Massachusetts. At the core of Project 351's mission is
empowering individuals to lead change in their own communities. Because of this, every
year students run service projects, like this one, in their own towns to support an issue they
are passionate about. Our community has the ability to prevent hunger in Arlington and
make sure no child goes hungry. I am running this food drive in partnership with both Project
351 and Arlington EATS. This drive will span multiple elementary schools: Peirce School,
Bishop School, Dallin School, and Hardy School. At each of these locations, there will be a
collection bin in the lobby. Please do not donate opened items and check to make sure they
are not expired. Also, please avoid donations that include small individual packages such as
mini cereal boxes. Arlington EATS cannot take them. The dates are November 12 to
December 15. Every donation goes directly to Arlington EATS and into our community. If you
have any questions, please email us at arlington351@gmail.com. All donations are greatly
appreciated, but if you can, please focus on the items listed below since those are the ones
Arlington EATS needs the most. Thank you so much for your support! ~Maeve Padien
 BISHOP PTO NEWS AND UPDATES

TONIGHT, Thursday November 10th: Last chance to register for Beauty and the
Beast, Junior!
Bishop Play Performance Weekend: March 24, 25, 26, 2023

The Bishop Play is Returning with Beauty And The Beast Junior!

We are thrilled to announce that the Bishop Play is making its return. We are
welcoming back the talented children’s theatre director Sarah Morrison Zeitman to
direct this year’s production of Disney’s Beauty And The Beast Junior!

The play is a huge undertaking and requires a lot of coordination between our
directorial staff, the parent community and PTO, Bishop staff and administration and
Bright Start. This year, we are focused on rebuilding our capacity to produce a play
that is safe and rewarding for everyone involved. The play will be open to Bishop
students in grades 3, 4 and 5.

Details on ways to participate and costs are below. If you have any questions, please
email thebishopplay@gmail.com.

We hope in future years to regrow the play to include the entire student community.
In the meantime, thank you for your support as we bring this great tradition back to
Bishop!

Registration will start on November 7. Details below…

Ways to Participate:
● Students in grades 4-5 can register to:
○ Audition for a leading/larger role
○ Participate in a supporting role (no audition required)
○ Participate in Tech Crew

● Students in grades 3 can register to participate in an ensemble role

Cost:
 ● $75 for grade 4-5 cast members
● $60 for grade 3 ensemble
● $30 for grade 4-5 Tech Crew
● Scholarships are available for any families in need; please contact Mr.
McAneny

Key Dates:
● Registration: November 7-10 here!
● Mandatory Parent Volunteer Meeting: Wednesday, Nov 30, 7 PM
● Auditions Grades 4-5: Wednesday, Nov 30 (2:45-4:45 PM)
● Call Backs Grades 4-5: Friday, Dec. 2 (2:45-4:45 PM)
● Rehearsals: Wednesdays or Fridays, 2:45-4:45 PM
○ Note: you will select a preferred day to rehearse during registration
○ Grades 4-5 will start rehearsing in December
○ Grade 3 will start rehearsing in January
○ Tech Crew will begin participating after February break
● Dress Rehearsal: Saturday, March 18, 12-5 PM (each cast for approx. 2 hours)
● Performance Weekend March 24, 25, 26
Questions? Please email thebishopplay@gmail.com

Clover Food Lab Fundraiser

The Bishop PTO is partnering with Clover Food Lab for a fundraiser now through
December 31st. Clover Meal Boxes start with locally sourced, organic produce
prepared fresh daily. Swap your weekly take-out for a delicious, kid-friendly meal kit
that’s delivered right to your doorstep. Tacos, Pizza, and Pasta oh my! Anytime your
family or friends buys or subscribes to a chef-made Clover Meal, 20% of the sales go
back to the Bishop PTO. Simply shop for a box and enter code BISHOP at checkout.
https://www.cloverfoodlab.com/mealboxes/.

Original Works Fundraiser

Thanks to all who contributed to this year’s Original Works fundraiser - we hope you
enjoy your treasures and gifts! Special thanks to Jennifer Le Blond for her efforts in
organizing this program.

Arlington Health & Human Services' Holiday Help Program

For nearly 40 years, Holiday Help has assisted lower income Arlington families
purchase gifts for their children around the holidays. As in previous years, Bishop will
support this wonderful program by way of gift card purchases. This year, the AYCC is
asking Bishop families to purchase gift cards to Target, Kohls, Amazon, Walmart, and
Dicks Sporting Goods in denominations of $25.00. Cash donations will also be
accepted, or you can donate online at https://ahhscc.org/.

Please send in your contribution(s) by Friday, December 2nd.

There will be a dropbox for donations in the Bishop main office, or you can contact
Sabrina Gauvin (sabgauv@hotmail.com) to make other arrangements.

As always, thank you for your generosity and thoughtfulness!

Annual Fund
It’s not too late to donate to the PTO’s Annual Fund! Click here for more information
or here to donate via PayPal.

Donations for the SNACK PROGRAM at Bishop Elementary School

Please continue to support the Snack Program by purchasing pre-approved snacks
through our Amazon Snack Wishlist. You can also find the Amazon Snack Wish List
link on the PTO website. Thank you for all of the generous donations!

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.)

Your PTO Funds At Work

Last week the PTO provided yummy fall treats to our teachers and staff as a
mid-week pick-me-up. The donuts and coffee were enjoyed by all!

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.
Second Annual Winter-themed Window Painting in Arlington Heights!
Saturday, December 3, 9:00am -1:00pm
Rain date, Sunday, December 4, 9:00am -1:00pm

Winter images of snowmen, polar bears, people at winter play and more will
brighten storefront windows in Arlington Heights. Paint a window by yourself or grab
your friend or parent and paint a window together in 55+ designated storefront
windows in 25 Heights businesses. Paintings will remain on display through February.

Online Registration: Saturday, November 5 - Saturday, November 19. Register online

here for this event.

Entries are accepted on a first come-first served basis. Space is guaranteed to the
first 55 entries. A $25 registration fee covers paint supplies (an assortment of
selected acrylic paints and paint brushes which will be supplied to painters the day
of the event). Painters will be emailed after the registration closing date their window
assignment, a rules and information flyer, and a list of window painting supplies and
tips.

Eligibility: All residents who attend any school in Arlington or reside in Arlington are
eligible for this event. Painters under age 12 must be accompanied by an adult. This
event is organized by the Arlington Heights Community Association (ACHA) in
partnership with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, and the Arlington
Commission for Arts and Culture.

Arlington Community Education is Looking for Teachers!

ACE is looking for people to teach for its ACE Kids after-school enrichment program.
Do you love the eagerness and curiosity of children, and want to share your love of a
particular topic in a relaxed setting? ACE Kids offers a wide selection of enriching
after school classes in schools across the district and we always include talented
teachers, paraprofessionals, parents, etc., as part of our teaching team.

Our winter term starts the week of January 18, and classes typically meet once per
week, immediately after school, for 4-9 sessions. One day family classes are also an
option. The hourly pay for our instructors is $35-$40 per hour. We are planning now,
and would like to hear from you soon. If you would like to teach a class for adults
please let us know about that too! If you, or someone you know, is interested in
proposing a class, please complete our course proposal form. If you would like more
information, please email Monica von Huene at mvonhuene@arlington.k12.ma.us.

APS is Hiring Crossing Guards!

If you are looking for a job making a difference for the children in Arlington, we have
immediate openings for school Crossing Guards. The school Crossing guards are the
first employees that the children see in their day, and you have the opportunity to
greet them with a smile and make them feel safe and secure as they start their day
and at the end of the day. The Crossing Guards work 45 minutes in the mornings
before school and 45 minutes in the afternoon after school, assuring that the
students cross the streets safely on the way to and from school. It is a great job!

If interested, please contact Robert Spiegel, Human Resources Director, Arlington

Public Schools, at 869 Mass Ave. Arlington. 781-316-3496 /
rspiegel@arlington.k12.ma.us.

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