2022-23 Respect, Responsibility, and Regard

11.23.22

Dates for the Calendar

- Holiday Food Drive - November 15 - December 12 (see info below)

- Wednesday, November 23rd - Early Release 12:00pm (Grab n Go Lunches)

- Thursday and Friday, November 24th and 25th - Thanksgiving Holiday

- Bishop Play Performance, Beauty and the Beast - March 24, 25, 26
click here for more info

With the Thanksgiving break upon us, we want to express our gratitude for the
hugely supportive Bishop community. While this is an extremely difficult time for us,
the positive messages, thoughts and prayers from the community have made
everyone, especially Mark, feel great care.

Much appreciation and gratitude-

Eva

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

Had 64 Families Participate So Far! 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!
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!
Thank you
Dr. Homan

WELCOME TO BISHOP’S WORLD CUP NEWS!

SPIRIT DAY NEXT TUESDAY NOV 30th - wear the flag or uniform colors
of your World Cup team!! Each child was assigned a team in library class.

Health Office Update from Nurse Martin

We are continuing to see a significant number of children who are absent from school due
to a viral respiratory illness. Children are experiencing fevers, nasal congestion, sore throat,
and cough (that lingers)- they are sick and missing many days of school. Our COVID
numbers remain low.

Please remember 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; testing for COVID-19 (once and again in 48 hours); and
staying home when you are sick.

We continue to have 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. There are still spaces available.

Thank you for helping to keep our community safe.

Nurse Martin
 Library News!
Dear Bishop families,
First of all we wanted to welcome Tricia White to the Bishop Library team. We are very sad
to have Justine Bloch leave us after 10 years (and many more in the Bishop community as a
parent - spearheading the last playground rebuild project, amongst other roles). Tricia is a
wonderful addition however and has already spent several weeks working alongside Ms
Bloch to smooth the transition.
We also wanted you to know that we are planning to track the soccer World Cup Finals
tournament (November 20-December 18) in Library classes over the next few weeks, and
have allocated a team/country for each student to follow.
The tournament is the most watched sporting event in the world and usually takes place in
the summer. This year it is being held in Qatar and due to the summer heat there, has been
moved to the fall. We decided to take advantage of that opportunity to bring it to our
students. As the tournament progresses, and teams are knocked out, students will shift their
affiliations until everyone is following one of the last two in the final match. Along the way we
will read and highlight some soccer books and encourage students to find out more about
the countries that they are following.
By the way the next World Cup FInals (2026) will be hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico and
Boston will be one of the host cities, with games played at the Foxborough stadium.
We hope everyone enjoys this event and wish you all an enjoyable time over the
Thanksgiving break,
Best wishes
Alison Vaishnaw, Tricia White and Chrissie Collins.
avaishnaw@arlington.k12.ma.us, pwhite@arlington.k12.ma.us and
ccollins@arlington.k12.ma.us

Hello Everyone,
We are very excited to announce that we will be moving to our new location at 117
Broadway! Would you help spread the word by sharing the following information with your
communities? We have both text below and a graphic for use in a newsletter and/or social
media. Thank you!
Arlington EATS is moving! We will be closed November 21-25 and will reopen November 28
at 117 Broadway. Our hours will remain the same:
Mondays, 2pm-4 pm or 4:30pm-7pm for Market shopping
Tuesdays, 9am-12 pm for Market shopping
Tuesdays, 1pm-6 pm for food donation drop-off
Wednesdays, 9am-12 pm for Market shopping
Appointments for shopping at the Market can be made by going to
www.arlingtoneats.org/get-food/ or by calling 339-707-6761.
Thank you!
Johanna
--
Johanna Niles
she/her
Community Food Access Manager
Arlington EATS
www.arlingtoneats.org

Update from the Rainbow Alliance

November 2022

The Rainbow Alliance, which is open to all fourth and fifth

graders, meets twice a month during lunch/recess. During
our first meeting, students started the process of getting to
know one another and worked together to create a list of
norms for our time together. Since then, students have
continued to build relationships, listen to music and books
read aloud, and learn about LGBTQ+ issues. During our last
two meetings, students shared why they wanted to join the
Rainbow Alliance and what their goals were as members of
this group. They created mini- posters on index cards
sharing their responses, which are hanging in the Bishop
lobby for all to see. During the month of December, we will
be working on writing a mission statement. Students will also divide into subcommittees to work
on several different initiatives. One committee will design a Bishop Rainbow Alliance t-shirt,
which will be sold to raise money for a charity that the members choose. Another subcommittee
will explore LGBTQ+ history and picture books with the goal of creating mini-lessons to present
in younger grade classrooms. The Rainbow Alliance has a Google Classroom that is open to all
fourth and fifth graders. If you have any questions about the Rainbow Alliance or your fourth or
fifth grader is interested in joining the group or Google Classroom, please reach out to Rebecca
Bell or Marie Clevering at rbell@arlington.k12.ma.us or mclevering@arlington.k12.ma.us.
 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

Dates for the Calendar

Now through December 31st: Clover Food Labs Fundraiser for Bishop PTO
November 17th to December 2nd: Drop off Holiday Help contributions
November 15th to December 12th: Food Drive for Arlington EATS Project 351
November 17th to December 11th: Troop 306 for Teens – Holiday Gift Drive
Wednesday, November 30th, 2:45-4:45pm: Beauty and the Beast auditions for
Grades 4-5
Wednesday, November 30th,7:00pm: Mandatory Parent Volunteer Meeting for
Beauty and the Beast
Friday, December 2nd: Picture Retake Day
Friday, December 2nd, 2:45-4:45pm: Beauty and the Beast Call Backs for Grades
4-5
Friday, December 2nd, 10:00am-7:00pm: Henry Bear’s Park Gift Wrapping

Your PTO Dollars at Work

During the month of November the PTO has funded buses to cover a 3rd grade field
trip and upcoming enrichment events for grades 1 and 2 with the Discovery
Museum, along with teacher appreciation treats of donuts and coffee. A portion of
room parent checks distributed were used to fund fall parties for each grade and
classroom at the end of October.

The Second Time’s the Charm! Picture retakes are on Friday, December 2nd.
Your child should have received their individual school portraits this week. If not,
they are coming home soon. If you are dissatisfied with the portraits and would like
another try, you have the opportunity for a retake! Students who were absent on the
original picture day in October may also have their picture taken on December 2nd.

For children who need their picture retaken, there is no official form from the vendor
that needs to be filled out. Simply have your child return the undamaged portrait
package to the photographer on December 2nd. If you just ordered a Digital Sharing
File, you do not need to return anything. If you have specific instructions for the
photographer, please jot them down so that they show through the envelope
window and can be easily spotted.

For children who were absent on the original picture date, please fill out an order
form online at www.coffeepond.com and click on the big red button that says
“Order School Portraits.”

To assist parent volunteers and teachers identify children who need their picture
taken/retaken, please add your child(ren)’s information to this google form by
Thursday, December 1st.
Photos taken on retake day will be distributed 3-5 weeks following the retake date.
At that time if you remain dissatisfied with your photos, Coffee Pond will issue a full
refund. For refund information, please visit www.coffeepond.com or email at
lifeguards@coffeepond.com.

Unfortunately, we will not be offering sibling photos this year. If you filled out a form
already, please note that these orders will not be fulfilled.
Finally, the class pictures were shipped separately and will be distributed when they
arrive. All students will receive a class photo regardless of whether you order/plan
to order individual portraits.

Please reach out to Laura Tikonoff at laura.tikonoff@gmail.com with questions.

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/.

Bishop Play “ Beauty and The Beast Junior” Key Dates:

● 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
○ 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

Wrap Gifts at Henry Bear’s Park and Support the Bishop PTO
Want to get in the holiday spirit? Grab a friend, spruce up your wrapping skills, and
have some fun! Henry Bear’s Park is giving the Bishop PTO a donation for every gift
wrapped on December 2nd between 10am-7pm. Sign up now to reserve your spot to
wrap presents. Space is limited.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e094da9aa28abfe3-henry. No time to wrap?
No worries! Save your gift buying for the 2 nd and you can still support the PTO and
see some familiar faces while you shop!
Multiple ways to support the local community during this holiday season!
As always, thank you for your generosity and thoughtfulness!

Arlington EATS and Project 351 Food Drive 2022

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!

Most Needed Items

Soy Sauce / Hot Sauce / Baking Mixes / Canned Soup /
Snacks (full-sized boxes/packages) / Cookies / Cereal (especially Cheerios)

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.

Troop 306 for Teens – Holiday Gift Drive at Bishop

Help support teens served by the Department of Children & Families' Arlington
Office this holiday season! Drop off any of the items below in the bin at the Bishop
lobby. Collection runs through Sunday, December 11th.
Suggested donations (NEW items only, please!):
winter hats/gloves / socks (sports/warm)
art supplies/coloring books/journals
refillable water bottles
personal hygiene items / wet hair brushes, scrunchies, nail polish
reading lights/ decks of cards
decorative duct tape / puzzles or brain teasers
school supplies / gift cards (bank locations only)

Help a local teen in need to have a happy holiday!

Amazon wish list also available at
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/GHCKW4SVN2HD?

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!

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.

Join the Girls Scouts!

A new Girl Scout troop for Arlington kindergarteners is forming! Join local volunteers
at the Edith M. Fox Library on Saturday, November 19 at 12:15 PM to learn more. Visit
bit.ly/ArlingtonDaisyMY23 to reserve your spot.

Arlington EATS is moving!

We will be closed November 21-25 and will reopen November 28 at 117 Broadway.
Our hours will remain the same:

Mondays, 2pm-4 pm or 4:30pm-7pm for Market shopping

Tuesdays, 9am-12 pm for Market shopping
Tuesdays, 1pm-6 pm for food donation drop-off
Wednesdays, 9am-12 pm for Market shopping

Appointments for shopping at the Market can be made by going to

www.arlingtoneats.org/get-food/ or by calling 339-707-6761.

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