December 13, 2021

On behalf of the faculty and staff I would like to express our gratitude to the PTG, and our parent community, for the wonderful Winter Staff Appreciation event last week. The delicious baked goods and barista were such a treat, thank you!  I hope you all have a relaxing vacation and a happy and healthy new year.

Recess in Winter:
We go outside each and every day, unless we have a frigid wind chill or it is raining. Please send your child dressed to play outside.  If we have snow on the ground, your child will need to wear snow pants and boots to play in the snow.

Teacher Gifts and the Conflict of Interest Law:
As public school educators, the staff at Thoreau is subject to the conflict of interest law, G.L. c. 268A.  This means that we may not accept any gift worth $50 or more that is given because of the positions we hold at Thoreau.  The Ethics Commission recently created an exemption to permit class gifts to teachers. A teacher may accept a gift, or several gifts during the school year, from public school students and/or their parents and guardians, with an aggregated value of up to $150, if the gift is identified only as being from the class, and the identity of the givers and the individual amounts given are not identified to the recipient.  Please call the main office if you have questions about the Conflict of Interest Law as it pertains to teacher gifts.

Mini Spirit Week: Winter Edition
Monday 12/20: Comfy Clothes Day, always a hit!
Tuesday 12/21: Sparkle and Shine Day, celebrate the first day of winter in your brightest and shiniest apparel.
Wednesday 12/22: Wacky Wednesday, don your favorite hat or go crazy styling your hair or wear a mismatched outfit.
Thursday 12/23: Thoreau Spirit Day, show your school spirit in your Thoreau gear or by wearing our school colors:blue and white.

CMS Coats for Kids:
The Concord Middle School Coats for Kids Club needs your help! Their annual Anton’s Cleaners Coats for Kids drive gets underway October 4th! Our goal this year is to collect 300 coats!! Please consider donating any gently-used coats in good condition by sending them to school with your child. The drop off box is by the office. We accept any size coat, from infant snowsuits to oversized adult, but please do not donate clothing other than winter coats – no sweatshirts, raincoats, vests, scarves, hats, gloves, mittens or snow pants. The drive runs until January 8th, 2022. If you get a new coat for the winter, consider donating your old coat to Coats for Kids. Thank you very much for your generosity!

Pets at Arrival and Dismissal:
We respectfully request that parents who bring their pets to school during arrival or dismissal time keep them a safe distance from other students and clear of our entrances.  Thank you!

Upcoming Events:
12/17 PTG Meeting, 9:30 AM
12/23 Early Release, 12:30 PM
12/24-12/31 Winter Break
1/3 Students Return