The Driscoll PTO Family Giving Campaign is Back!

THE DRISCOLL PTO FAMILY GIVING CAMPAIGN IS BACK!

Each year, the town of Brookline provides a budget for our school. Unfortunately, the cost to meet the needs of our diverse student body exceeds what is budgeted. In order to support our teachers and administration and help cover the costs that fall outside this budget, the Driscoll PTO hosts a Family Giving Campaign for our school every March. 

Our Annual Appeal goal is to raise $40,000 in just one month: March 1 - 31. We need YOUR help to make this happen! 

WAYS TO DONATE

Visit driscollpto.org to donate via PayPal, or you can contribute via Venmo (@DriscollPTO), or via check (you'll receive an envelope in your child's take-home folder this week).

NEW THIS YEAR! We’re offering school-wide incentives for each fundraising milestone we hit. See chart below.

Thanks for your support, and please consider making a contribution today!

$5,000

FREE ICE SKATING! If we raise $5,000 by March 10, all ice skate rentals at the Driscoll PTO Family Skating Event on Saturday, March 11 at Warrior Ice Arena will be paid for by the PTO instead of by individual families

$10,000

School-wide Pajama Day

$15,000

Morning Announcement Dance Party

$20,000

Stuffy Sleepover! Students can drop off a toy after school one day, and we will take pictures of them "getting into mischief" around the school overnight.  

$25,000

After-school Popsicle Party

$30,000

Students will be able to duct tape someone to a wall!  (And wait until you find out who has volunteered to be duct taped!)

$35,000

Teacher Appreciation Level - Teachers get to wear costumes, or whatever crazy things they want, to school

$40,000

School-wide Spirit Week

BOO!

Surprise your student, teacher, neighbor, or friend with a spooky treat from a Driscoll 8th grader. Support 8th grade graduation activities, by purchasing a Halloween treat.

Help cast a spell and charm both graduation for 8th graders and Halloween for the greater Driscoll student body.

Sign up here!

https://forms.gle/g6qvoikH3xLfsAQk9

Join us at the Fall Fling Family Dance on October 22!

The Fall Fling is back! This year's event will take place on Sat, Oct 22 from 3 – 5 PM on the blacktop outside the cafeteria. Join us for games, music, food, and more.

NEW this year! We are introducing a Trunk or Treat as part of the Fall Fling and are seeking volunteers to decorate cars. Here's how it works:

10 cars will be parked behind Driscoll (in the lower lot near Washington St). Each trunk is decorated in its own unique theme, and instead of going from house to house, the kids trick or treat from car to car.

We are currently seeking volunteers to decorate cars! You can keep it simple or showcase your creativity; for some fun decorating ideas click here: trunk or treat ideas. 

Click here to volunteer: Driscoll Trunk or Treat Volunteer Sign Up Form

 Closer to the event date, we'll be seeking volunteers to donate candy.

Aladdin Jr. Tickets on Sale Now!

Aladdin Jr. Tickets on Sale Now!

Tickets are now on sale for the Driscoll Eighth Grade production of Aladdin Jr.! The play will be performed in the Driscoll Theater for families this Friday, June 3rd at 6:30 PM, and again this Saturday, June 4th at 6:30 PM. Students will be seeing the play in school (either in-person for our youngest students, or virtually for our older students).

Tickets for Friday and Saturday night are $10 per person. Tickets can be purchased at the door (using cash, check made out to Driscoll PTO, or Venmo), or can be purchased ahead of time using Venmo (@DriscollPTO). If you are paying with Venmo please include what night/nights you are buying the tickets for.

Join us at the Spring Fair

We hope you can join us for the return of the Spring Fair on Sunday May 29th from 12 noon – 4 PM!

This is one of our students’ favorite Driscoll traditions, but because of COVID we haven’t been able to hold the Spring Fair for 3 years, which means many of our younger students have never been able to experience it. The Spring Fair is our annual outdoor carnival, with rides, games, food, and more. If you would like to see some pictures from past Spring Fairs, check out this blog post from two years ago: https://www.driscollpto.org/blog/spring-fair-memories.

There will be some differences in this year’s Spring Fair. Because of the ongoing construction, we will not be able to hold it at Driscoll School. Instead, this year’s Spring Fair will be held at the Winthrop Square Park in Brookline (also known as the Rose Garden Park), at the corner of St. Paul Street and Freeman Street. We will also be holding it on a weekend afternoon instead of a weekday, since that was the only time that worked for both the Park Department and the amusement company delivering the rides.

But this year’s Spring Fair will still be the same experience that our students remember and love. We will have an inflatable moon bounce and obstacle course, carnival rides and games (including the Gyro Orbitron, Aztec ride, chair swing, and more), fair food (cotton candy, popcorn, snow cones, fried dough), games, and so much more! We can’t wait to see you at the Spring Fair!

But to make this event work, we need your help! This beloved community event revolves around volunteer support. It takes around 200 volunteer hours to make this event run smoothly. We will need volunteer support from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM on the day of the fair. Please consider donating your time and energy to this fabulous end of year event, and sign up at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050f4baca723abfb6-2022

The Return of Kids for Kids!

Kids for Kids returns on Thursday, May 26th!

We are very excited to be bringing back Kids for Kids performances for our 1-5 Grades as part of the return of a smaller scale Arts Equinox event, for the first time in three years! Students have already started rehearsing, and they can’t wait to share their performances with their parents. Performances will be held in the Driscoll Theater, and parents from each grade are welcome to attend in person! We are also planning to record each grade level to share with any parents in that grade who are unable to attend.

Here is the performance schedule for Kids for Kids:
4TH GRADE - 8:10 AM - 9:10 AM
1ST GRADE - 9:20 AM - 10:20 AM
2ND GRADE - 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
3RD GRADE - 12:00 noon - 1:00 PM
5TH GRADE - 1:10 PM - 2:10 PM

Please use the Recess door (number 10) on the first floor to enter the building, turn right, and head down the hallway to the Theater (on the left!). Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Last Chance for the Family Giving Campaign!

This is the last chance for you to have your donation counted as part of this year’s Driscoll PTO Family Giving Campaign – no fooling!

We want to thank everyone who has already donated to this year’s Family Giving Campaign! We have currently raised $18,632 towards our goal of $30,000.

The Family Giving Campaign raises money each year to cover teacher grants, classroom materials, guest speakers, and community events (e.g. Spring Fair, Science Solstice, Arts Equinox) that fall outside the school budget. If we are unable to raise sufficient funds, our ability to produce these events may be compromised.

You can still make a donation via Venmo @DriscollPTO, donate via PayPal, or send a check in to your classroom teacher. We are also aiming for 100% of Driscoll families to participate, so please donate whatever you can today. We understand that every family’s ability to give is different. Every donation makes a difference.

At $5,000: Homework Pass for a student – ACHIEVED!
At $10,000: School-wide Pajama Day – ACHIEVED!
At $15,000: A student can choose a book to be donated to the Driscoll Library in their name – ACHIEVED!
At $20,000: Evening Zoom Bedtime Story for the entire school: Read by Mr. Youkilis, Ms. Bartley, and Ms. Lyons
At $25,000: A student can shadow a school administrator (Principal, Assistant Principal) for part of the day
At $30,000: Teacher Appreciation Level: Bring in a Food Truck for all Driscoll Educators
(Stretch Goal) At $35,000: Private Lunch for a student and their favorite teacher

As you can see, we have reached the $15,000 level, which means that one student was randomly selected to choose a book to be donated to the Driscoll Library in their name. Congratulations to Jannat in 5H; Ms. Reid will be in touch with you soon to pick out a book! We know that Mr. Youkilis, Ms. Lyons, and Ms. Bartley are looking forward to hosting the Zoom Storytime at the $20,000 level, so keep those donations coming in!

Return of the Science Fair!

We are very excited to announce the return this year of a longstanding tradition: the Driscoll Science Fair! The continuing uncertainties around the pandemic have necessitated some changes in the scheduling and logistics around this event, but we believe we will be able to hold the fair in-person in a safe and enjoyable fashion. This year’s event will take place on Saturday April 30th, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to noon on the outdoor playspace next to the cafeteria. In the event of inclement weather, we will move the fair indoors to the cafeteria and gym (in accordance with prevailing guidance related to social distancing if applicable).

Please visit the Science Fair webpage (https://www.driscollpto.org/science-fair) for more information and for signup details. The registration fee is $10 per student, with scholarships available to defray this cost for families in financial need. Participants are asked to please sign up by Wednesday April 27th, 2022.

(Note as well that, exceptionally this year, the Driscoll Science Fair will not serve as a qualifying event for the regional or state science fairs. Due to the pandemic, these fairs have been scheduled as online-only events and will be held prior to our school fair. Judging will nevertheless be conducted and prizes will be awarded by grade level on April 30th).

We look forward to seeing many interesting and creative projects from our brilliant young Driscoll scientists!

Family Giving Campaign Update

Thanks to everyone who has already donated to this year’s Family Giving Campaign! We have currently raised $5,310 towards our goal of $30,000. We are also aiming for 100% of Driscoll families to participate, so please donate whatever you can today. You can give via Venmo @DriscollPTO, donate via PayPal, or send a check in to your classroom teacher.

We also want to announce some fun incentives that we have put together to celebrate this year’s Family Giving Campaign! At every $5,000 level, we will be choosing a student at random for a unique in-school experience; at every $10,000 level, we will earn a school-wide celebration that everyone can enjoy together.

At $5,000: Homework Pass for a student – ACHIEVED!
At $10,000: School-wide Pajama Day
At $15,000: A student can choose a book to be donated to the Driscoll Library in their name
At $20,000: Evening Zoom Bedtime Story for the entire school: Read by Mr. Youkilis, Ms. Bartley, and Ms. Lyons
At $25,000: A student can shadow a school administrator (Principal, Assistant Principal) for part of the day
At $30,000: Teacher Appreciation Level: Bring in a Food Truck for all Driscoll Educators
(Stretch Goal) At $35,000: Private Lunch for a student and their favorite teacher

Please note that for the $5,000 level student prizes, we will be choosing students at random from the entire student population. It will not be limited to families who have already made a donation to the Family Giving Campaign. We understand that every family’s ability to give is different. Every donation makes a difference.

As you can see, we have actually already achieved our first incentive level! We are very excited to announce Katerina K. in 4R as the winner of a Homework Pass. Next up is a school-wide Pajama Day!

The Family Giving Campaign is Back!

The Driscoll PTO Family Giving Campaign raises money each year to cover teacher grants, classroom materials, guest speakers, and community events (e.g. Spring Fair, Science Solstice, Arts Equinox) that fall outside the school budget.

Our fundraising goal for this school year is $30,000, with a suggested donation of $100 per student. Our goal is for 100% of Driscoll families to participate in the Family Giving Campaign. Donations in any amount are welcome and appreciated!

DONATE TODAY! You can give via Venmo @DriscollPTO, or donate via PayPal. 

All contributions to the Driscoll PTO are tax-deductible and will be acknowledged with a receipt for tax purposes. Our tax ID is 04-3500659. Please also consider using your employer’s matching grant program. For more information, please email driscollgiving@gmail.com.

Driscoll School Council Election: The Results Are In!

Yesterday was the deadline to vote in the election for parent representatives on the Driscoll School Council. Now the votes have been counted, and the four new parent representatives are:

C. Scott Ananian
Karina Caban
Jonathan Golden
Nicole McClelland

We want to give our sincere thanks to all five of the candidates, and extend our best wishes to Andrew Feldman. It was an overwhelmingly strong field, and any of the candidates would have made outstanding contributions to the School Council.

We also want to extend our gratitude to outgoing parent representatives Rich Day, Dan Deutsch, Patricia Salic, and Amandeep Singh for their two years of service on the Council. The last two years have been incredibly challenging for our community, and your continued dedication to our students was more important than ever.

Finally, we want to thank all the members of the Driscoll community who voted in the election. It is truly a sign of the strength of our community, and it is so wonderful to see the enthusiasm on display for our children's school experience.

It's Time to Vote for School Council!

It is time to vote for your representatives on the Driscoll School Council!

This year we have five candidates in the election for parent representatives on the Driscoll School Council.  As a reminder, the school council meets regularly with the school administration and teachers to shape school policies and programs, identify the needs of students, and review the school budget. This year we are looking to fill all four parent representatives for two-year terms.  Below, you can find some brief biographical information provided by each of the candidates.

The election will run through the end of school (1:40 PM) on Friday, January 14, 2022.  You may vote for up to four candidates.  Each parent/guardian is entitled to one ballot entry.

Ballots will be passed out to teachers to include in student take-home folders.  If you would like a paper copy mailed to you as well, please call the school at (617) 879-4250.  You may send your ballots in with your student, or email your vote to driscollpto@gmail.com. You may also mail your ballot to: Driscoll School, ATTN: David Youkilis, 64 Westbourne Terrace, Brookline, MA 02446.

 If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Youkilis at 617-879-4250 or david_youkilis@psbma.org, or the Driscoll PTO at driscollpto@gmail.com. Thank you to these five fine candidates for their participation and willingness to serve!

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C. Scott Ananian: C. Scott Ananian is parent of a Driscoll 3rd grader and 1st grader, both of whom attend the Driscoll Extended Day Program. Scott is a Brookline Town Meeting member, member of the Brookline Advisory Committee, was treasurer for the Campaign for Driscoll/Build Brookline's Future, and is a software developer for the Wikimedia Foundation, which is the custodian of Wikipedia and other collaboratively-edited educational projects. Scott received his PhD from MIT in 2007 and has spent over a decade working on robust and reliable systems to allow kids to discover, share, and learn.

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Karina Caban: Karina Caban is a high achiever who is currently enrolled at CSU where she is pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Addiction Services. Through workplace experience, she has gained crucial knowledge, skills, and personal attributes that help inspire and shape her mission of engaging, advocating and serving others.

Karina currently works for the Department of Mental Health as the Complaint Officer managing the review, assignment, and investigation of the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital complaints. In her role, she collaborates with the Human Rights Officer to identify and investigate human rights violations and abuses. Prior to joining the Department of Mental Health Karina was the Program Manager for the Mayor’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities. In her role, Karina helped inspire and shape the Commission’s mission of engaging, advocating and serving the residents of Boston with disabilities. Karina was also the Operations Coordinator in the Homeless and Recovery Services Bureau at the Boston Public Health Commission that is governed by a seven-member board of health appointed by the Mayor of Boston to protect, preserve, and promote the health and well-being of all Boston residents, particularly those who are most vulnerable.

Karina has a passion for working and caring for the underserved. As a METCO student mom being an effective advocate, is of top priority presenting information and making requests in a focused way will assure that our children have access to necessary services that may not be available unless we request them, point out their importance, then actively work to get them.

In her spare time, Karina enjoys spending quality time with her 5-Year old daughter, baking, getting crafty, or watching a movie.

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Andrew Feldman: Hello! My name is Andrew Feldman, and I am the proud stepdad to Grace, a 6th grader, and Micah, a 4th grader. We live very close to Driscoll, and since the pandemic, I have been fortunate enough to be able to walk my kids to school each morning and then to explore the surrounding neighborhood on foot. In fact, this year, I’ve walked 3,000 miles all around Brookline and Boston. I think it has truly allowed me to learn the area and community.

I grew up in New York and moved to Boston in 2009 to pursue a career in financial consulting. I met my partner, Jordanna, in 2015 through a local fitness group called November Project, and I officially moved to Brookline in 2018. 

The opportunity to lend my professional skills in financial analytics (budgeting and corporate financial planning), and more, in service of the school and its fabulous community is too good to pass up. Please consider voting for me as a parent representative for the Driscoll School Council; it would be a privilege to contribute back to a community that has given me so much.

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Jonathan Golden: My name is Jonathan Golden and I am a parent of a 2nd grader in 2S.  As a high school history teacher at Gann Academy in Waltham for over 20 years, I have held a range of strategic leadership positions including History Department Chair, Director of Academic Operations, and Assistant Head of School.  My administrative duties included the design of professional development, day to day operations of the school, mentoring of new teachers, and close cooperation with the facilities staff.

I am a graduate of Princeton University with a PhD from Brandeis University.  I serve as a Brookline Town Meeting Member for Precinct 11 and I am a member of the Community Engagement Committee for Brookline’s Commission for Diversity Inclusion and Community Relations.  I am a board member of Brookline Interactive Group and have had experience on a variety of non-profit boards.

I am excited by the possibility of serving on the Driscoll School Council to help develop and support the School Improvement Plan and the transition to a new building.  Drawing on my professional experience, non-profit work, and public service, I would welcome the opportunity to help the wonderful Driscoll School community progress from strength to strength.

Thank you for your consideration.

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Nicole McClelland: I'm Nicole McClelland, parent of a Driscoll first-grader and long-time resident of the Corey Hill neighborhood. I live by the sledding side of Corey Hill with my husband and daughter.

I'm an active volunteer in Brookline town government and have served as a Town Meeting Member for Precinct 11 since 2016. I was proud to be a part of the core campaign team for the successful Driscoll override campaign in 2019. I also serve on the Brookline Commission for Women.

In our neighborhood, I help co-lead the Corey Hill Neighborhood Association, and have been glad to join together with neighbors and community members recently to form the Driscoll Area Safety Team, which is focused on making the roadways and sidewalks in our school zone safer for all, especially Driscoll students, pedestrians and bikers.

My applicable professional background in publishing and licensing management includes experience with budgets, long-term planning, and operations. More importantly, I love the Driscoll community, and hope to join the School Council as part of a team of people working to support our students and school administration, and in making Driscoll the best it can be.

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Winter Session of DASA Cancelled

After much discussion with both Principal Youkilis and Nurse Dewing, the Driscoll PTO has decided to cancel the Winter Session of Driscoll After-School Activities (DASA).

This was not an easy decision for us to make, or one we made lightly.  While there were no issues during the Fall Session of DASA, we find ourselves faced with a different set of circumstances now.  COVID numbers are rapidly rising, with the highly contagious Omicron variant spreading across the country.  We are expecting those numbers to continue to rise in the weeks to come as a result of people traveling for the holidays.

We want to make it clear that our decision to cancel DASA does not indicate a lack of faith in the safety of our students at school.  Social distancing, mask wearing, and other safety precautions have been working, and will continue to work in the weeks to come.  However, as an after-school program, DASA has some important differences.  DASA classes include children from different grades, which means a positive case could affect multiple classes.  DASA students who are identified as a “close contact” are also not eligible for the “Test to Stay” program, which means than any unvaccinated students might need to quarantine at home for upwards of a week.  Our priority has always been keeping our students in school for their learning hours during the school day.

Thank you for your understanding.  We are still hoping that we will be able to bring back DASA for the Spring Session, although we will wait until later in the year to make a final decision.  Refunds will be issued over the next week or two, although we do ask for some patience. 

Buy Driscoll Merchandise!

Have you noticed an increase in people wearing Driscoll hooded sweatshirts recently?  Are you interested in buying a Driscoll hat now that the weather is getting colder?

Starting at this year’s Fall Fling Family Dance, the Driscoll PTO has begun selling merchandise as another way to raise money for PTO programming.  In previous years, Driscoll merchandise has been sold on a very limited basis as a way of raising money for 8th grade fundraisers.  However, we have heard from many of our families that they would like a year-round way to purchase Driscoll clothing, and have been working to find a high-quality vendor to make this possible.

This doesn’t mean that the 8th grade will no longer have the option to sell merchandise for their fundraisers as well!  Keep an eye out for more “limited edition” items, like Class of 2022 or student designed logos, as well as special items, such as pajama pants.

If you are interested in purchasing any Driscoll merchandise, you can email your order to driscollptomerch@gmail.com.  Here is a list of what is currently on sale:

-        Hooded Sweatshirts, in red or gray: Adult ($35), Youth ($30)

-        Baseball shirts: Adult ($15), Youth ($15)

-        Sweatpants: Youth ($28)

-        Hats: $20

-        Water Bottles: Steel ($20), Plastic ($15)

DASA Returns!

Registration for DASA'S FALL SESSION opens
Thursday, September 9th at noon!

After needing to put a hold on the program last year due to COVID-19, we are happy to bring back Driscoll After School Activities (DASA) this fall, starting September 30th. There have been some changes in schedule, so please check our listings on the website driscollafterschool.weebly.com and discuss options with your child!

CLASSES include 3D Printing, Dance, Knitting, Minecraft, PuddleStompers, Tae Kwon Do and Yoga!

IMPORTANT TIPS!
1. If you have not done so, create your FamilyID account now. We strongly suggest you create an account before registration day to avoid missing out.

2.Set an alarm. Classes fill within minutes. Some of our classes are extremely popular, and we will have numerous parents trying to register simultaneously for the same spots. If you have filled out all the appropriate information, your registration should go through without a hitch. It does for 99% of registrants. If your registration is stalling, you may be stuck in a queue. START OVER FROM THE BEGINNING. Registration is done only when you press pay button.

Good luck!

DASA website:
driscollafterschool.weebly.com

Happy First Day of School!

Happy First Day of School!  We are so excited to welcome our students back to school today, with a special welcome to all of the new families who have recently joined the Driscoll community.  We also want to welcome back our students who are returning from last year at the Remote Learning Academy, many of whom haven’t been in the building on a regular basis since March 2020.  Our building felt empty without you, and we are so glad to have you back again.

We understand that today is different from any other First Day of School.  While there have been encouraging signs about the days ahead, the COVID-19 pandemic does not show any signs of coming to an end anytime soon.  The extremely contagious Delta Variant is a reminder that we must remain vigilant, especially since many of our students are still not eligible for a vaccine until their 12th birthday.  But our teachers and staff have had a year of experience working under these conditions now, and their dedication to our students has been nothing short of inspiring.

One thing that will never change is the Driscoll Parent Teacher Organization’s commitment to supporting both our students and teachers, and for finding ways to come together as a community to build lasting memories.  One of our primary goals this year is to rebuild a strong sense of community among Driscoll students and families.  To that end, here are some of the events we have planned over the next few weeks:

• We will be offering our traditional “Coffee and Kleenex” for Kindergarten parents after they drop off their children on their first day of school.  This will be held on the blacktop outside the cafeteria after drop-off on Wednesday, September 1st and Thursday, September 2nd (weather permitting; otherwise we will move inside to the cafeteria).  All families are welcome, not just Kindergarteners: we know how hard it will be for some of our returning RLA families to say goodbye this year!

• We will be holding our annual New Family Breakfast again this year, on Tuesday, September 14th.  Right now, we are still in the process of deciding if this will be in person or via Zoom.  All Driscoll families are welcome!

• Starting in October, we will be re-starting our popular “First Tuesday” Coffee with the PTO series, held at 8 AM on the first Tuesday of every month.  We are very much hoping to offer this in person again this year.  Stay tuned for information about this year’s guests.  Our plan is to offer speakers who can support our families in the unique challenges they will be facing this year, both socially and academically. We also want to help the Driscoll community stay informed about the ongoing construction project outside our walls.

As the year goes on, you will hear more about some of our regular programs, such as Driscoll After School Activities (DASA), Science Solstice, Arts Equinox, the Spring Fair, and more.  We are still in the process of figuring out what programs will be feasible to offer in terms of COVID restrictions, and what programs we will have enough parent volunteers to offer.

 As always, the PTO exists to find ways to get our families involved in our school community.  We understand how busy everyone is, but there is always a place for each of our parents to volunteer with the Driscoll PTO in a way that fits their schedule.  You will hear more about some volunteering opportunities in the days to come.  In the meantime, we are already looking for parents to volunteer as a Room Parent for their child’s class.  Communication between families and teachers will be more important than ever this year, and Room Parents provide the direct support that our teachers depend on.

Driscoll Celebrates AAPI Heritage Month

May is AAPI Heritage Month, as we celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in our community. Driscoll School has always been deeply connected to these cultures because of our Mandarin program, the only K-8 school in Brookline where every student has the opportunity to learn Mandarin starting in Kindergarten. One of our students' favorite Driscoll traditions is the annual Lion Dance on Lunar New Year (which we were even able to celebrate "virtually" this year).

To celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, our Mandarin department has put together a video Read Aloud of the Caldecott Award winning picture book "A Big Mooncake for Little Star" by Grace Lin. Thanks to all of the teachers, specialists, and staff members who each joined in to read a page or two! Here is the link for the video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K8k9KbT9Hi8LmvB5cvKh2zW_s2r0YfsU/view

Our Mandarin teachers and K-8 students have also been working to make a poster to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, which is now on display outside the Library. Middle school students used what they learned in Mandarin class to research members of the AAPI community and wrote introductions in both English and Mandarin. K-5 students cut their own hand shaped paper and wrote down their goals for a better community. They even put a mirror in the middle of the poster to show that students can see themselves among these people. Both students and teachers found this to be an empowering and meaningful learning experience, and everyone had a great time making the poster!

We want to thank all of our students who worked so hard this month, and everyone who joined in the Read Aloud video. Special thanks to parent volunteer Marina Bottiglieri for all her help making this happen! Most of all, we would like to thank Wang Laoshi and Wu Laoshi, since none of this would have been possible without their dedication and leadership!

Congratulations, Principal Youkilis!

On Tuesday, Superintendent Marini announced that Mr. Youkilis will be the new permanent principal of Driscoll. The PTO Executive Board wanted to follow up on this message, offering our congratulations to Mr. Youkilis and sharing our excitement about what this news means for the Driscoll community as we look ahead into the future.

It seems fitting that this announcement was made as we celebrate National Assistant Principals Week, as Mr. Youkilis has served in that role since 2010, making him one of the most familiar faces around Driscoll. Mr. Youkilis has played a key role in many of our most popular PTO programs over the years, handing out prizes at our annual Science Fair, reading books during the Book Fair and Virtual Storytimes, and even volunteering for the Dunk Tank at the Spring Fair.

This last year has challenged our community on so many levels, as we have dealt with social distancing requirements, virtual teaching, and the cancellation of many of our favorite programs. Mr. Youkilis stepped into the Interim Principal role at a time when we needed someone who was familiar with the needs of our students. His kind demeanor has been a touchstone for parents and teachers this year, and his years of experience with the building have proved invaluable as we have tried to figure out how to adapt a hundred year old building to the current pandemic requirements. He has also been deeply involved in the construction process as we start to build the new Driscoll School. The next couple of years will not always be easy, as we deal with the construction of a new building and the ongoing readjustment as students return to the building. But we sincerely believe we have the right person leading us through this difficult period, and our community will continue to grow stronger with each challenge we face together.

We would also like to thank the parents, educators, and students who were a part of this process, particularly those on the Principal Search Committee. From the initial work done by the Search Committee, to those who joined the small panel discussions, to those who participated in the Zoom meetings with the candidates, we thank everyone for taking the time to make their voice heard.

Science Night - April 13th!

One of our students' favorite events every spring is the Driscoll Science Fair. Given current COVID restrictions, we are unfortunately not able to gather together in person to celebrate science in our traditional way. Instead, we are very excited to announce that this year the Driscoll PTO will be hosting an online Science Night on Tuesday, April 13th from 6:30 PM - 7:50 PM. Kids will be building their own Spin Art Machines from scratch, and will be learning about electronics, energy, and centrifugal force along the way. All ages are welcome! Kits including the materials for this project are $15 each (scholarships available from the PTO for any families who cannot afford to participate) and will be delivered to you prior to the event.

Sign up by March 22nd at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxU13UiTpGYlGK8ThVzempaMLV4Y9OIyeN1K8EIhxwyayPpA/viewform?usp=sf_link

BOO! Driscoll Boo Bags!

Surprise your student with a spooky treat bag from a Driscoll 8th grader. Although Halloween may seem a little different this year, we can still cast our community web. Support 8th grade graduation activities, by purchasing a Halloween treat bag. Your elementary student will receive a ghoulish treat (allergy free available) from an 8th grader to brighten the festivities. Delivered straight to your door!

Help cast a spell and charm both graduation for 8th graders and Halloween for the greater Driscoll student body.  Sign up HERE! Suggested donation is $10 per bag.

Driscoll BOO Bags
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYMfrlZ-2laOUgrzQoUeqyhnApdPOsFVCRULXSieWgUUxL9Q/viewform?usp=sf_link