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Last PTO General Meeting recording

      *To see the schedule click here

• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
  
• BOE REPORT
• SHARE THE PIE - THANK YOU
• WHS PERFORMANCE: DON'T MISS OUT!
• DESIGN COMPETITION
• FLIPGIVE FUNDRAISER
• MINTED.COM FUNDRAISER
• BRICK BY BRICK FUNDRAISER
  
• WESTON SPIRIT FUNDRAISER
• BOYSCOUTS FUNDRAISER
• CLASS NOTES

Hello WHS parents,

Lots of great information has been shared this week at both the monthly WHS Principal’s Admingle and the monthly PTO meeting.  Here are the highlights:

1. Principal Wolak reported that the extended learning hour has been well received by the students and staff.  Many WHS students using the hour for extra help and the chance to connect with teachers. Administration is working on Math lab hours and staffing to mirror the success of the Writing lab.  
2. There will be no winter sports until at least January 19.  Mark Berkowitz is in constant discussion with other state & local athletic directors about showcase events for college recruiting and alternate seasons for delayed sports.  No crossover is allowed between HS athletics and club athletics at this time.
3. Procedures for transition to short term VDL (due to travel, quarantine, etc.) and communication flow chart are on WHS page of westonpspto.org website.  
4. Thanks to Julia Brennan for chairing last month’s successful pie sale fundraiser and addition of donation to Weston Food Pantry and thank you so much to the community for supporting the WHS PTO.  Thank you also to the SGA and their pet food drive as well as the Young Progressives club for picking up food pantry donations.
5. PTO Philanthropy funding for a training for staff and students who are part of the Social Justice Initiative was approved.  Once staff & students are trained, they will roll out training & events to all students throughout the year.   Applications to be part of this club exceeded expectations and we should all be proud of the commitment our students and staff are taking to ensure that social justice becomes part of our ongoing WHS environment.  
6. The number of students leaving or not enrolling in WHS increased this year – primarily due to covid but the BOE is looking further into details about the increase.  
7. WHS continues to have an excellent 6 year graduation rate – 99%!! - for colleges and universities.  There is an expected deviance for last year and this year’s numbers due to the number of students deferring or taking a gap year given covid.
8. SGA had a successful Spirit week and is planning a virtual gingerbread house decorating event.  They continue their community service with food drive, coat drive, and will be holding a spare change collection in the coming months.  PTO Class parent reps will update class FB pages with details.
9. Thank you to our staff appreciation chairs for providing monthly thank you’s to our teachers and for the PTO’s support of students with Thanksgiving snack bags.
10. We are thankful to have Michelle Albright as a valued resource to support the social and emotional needs of our community.  We will post her slides on our www.westonpspto.org website along with a recording of her presentation.  Michelle emphasized the concept of “Radical Acceptance” – even if we don’t choose the situation, we need to learn to accept it.   Once you’ve embraced that concept, you can move on to “what can I do in this reality”.  It becomes a management issue.  It is not healthy for our bodies and brains to live in a constant state of crisis and uncertainty. Listen to your instinct about your family – reach out to dr, therapists, teachers, guidance counselors, coaches, and friends. On the other side, many students are happier with the flexibility of the current academic & social environment  and feel less pressured.  Key points discussed:
    1. Voice and Validate Emotions
    2. Reinforce and revise routines
    3. Maintain connections creatively
    4. Preserve traditions
    5. Monitor and moderate news
    6. Secure support
    7. Create opportunities
    8. Acknowledge accommodations

We are all here to support you, listen to you, and assist you in any way you may need.  Please continue to be diligent about mask wearing and social distancing. Keeping our community healthy takes all of our commitment and we have always been good at caring for each other.  

Janet Hoffman

WHS PTO president

There are new postings from recent BOE meetings and BOE Curriculum Committee meetings.  Please take a look!

http://www.westonpspto.org/Page.asp?n=158527&org=westonpspto.org

If you have any questions or comments, please contact the BOE Rep at kristana.esslinger@gmail.com

Kristana Esslinger

BOE Rep

Don't Miss Out!

Get the best seats in the house (your own house!) to Weston High School’s performance of Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play, shown exclusively online.  

Online streaming:

•Friday, December 11 at 7:30pm

•Sunday, December 13 at 3:00pm

Suspense...spies...love...murder! It’s a triple feature of early Hitchcock films: The Lodger, Sabotage, and The 39 Steps in the style of a 1940s radio broadcast, complete with vintage commercials and jingles arranged and performed by our talented singers, plus, live sound effects and an exciting underscore recorded by our talented musicians. Experience the Golden Age of radio with our announcers and actors!

Tickets available at whscompany.com

Click on CURRENT PRODUCTION

(read the intro), scroll down and

Click "Tickets Here"

Win the High School Green Team $500!!!! Win $250 for yourself! 

Have you ever wanted to design your own billboard? Now is your chance. Weston is now a member of the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority (HRRA) and we want to highlight the importance of recycling. This year, the theme is "RECYCLE RIGHT". 

The contest is for Weston students in grades K-12, regardless of school. (Public, Private, Homeschool)

This year, we are striving to make the competition as virtual as possible. The instructions are included in the entry form. Your submission should be in   8.5" x 11" landscape format. 

Electronic submissions should be emailed to Sarah Hutchison at shutchisonsw@gmail.com on or before January 15th, 2021. 

If you cannot submit electronically, the Weston Library will host a dropbox in the library foyer. Please wear a mask and observe COVID-19 guidelines. 

(Please make sure that student name, grade, address, and parent email is included with your submission)

This year's judging panel will comprise of Amy Kalafa (Sustainable Weston), Michael Aikenhead (Environmental Science Teacher, Weston High), Karen Tatarka (Weston Library), and Joyce Clear & Andrew Reiss (Weston Arts). 

The entry form and instructions are included below. Best of luck to everyone!!!    

Entry form (CLICK HERE)

This year we have an exciting opportunity to make our fundraising efforts for the Weston PTOs easier by using an app called FlipGive.

Simply join our team on FlipGive and start shopping through the app or our team page and we'll earn money every time you shop with popular brands like Sam's Club, Starbucks, Lululemon, Dick’s, Marc Jacobs, Athleta, Williams-Sonoma and so many more!

Join our team now by clicking HERE.

If you are prompted for a join code, enter this code NTFCQ3

Remember to use FlipGive before you shop online so we'll earn cash back - make a purchase within the first 14 days of joining and we'll receive an additional bonus!

If you still have questions, click HERE for a handout that explains FlipGive in more detail.

This holiday season, we're partnering with minted.com to help us fundraise!

Shop holiday cards and gifts on minted.com now through December using our promo code to help support Weston Schools.  You save 20% and Minted donates 15% back to Weston Schools!

PROMO CODE – FUNDRAISEWESTON

Buy a brick, leave a legacy!

Honor a teacher or administrator, commemorate a graduate, honor a loved one.
Your personalized brick will be permanently installed in the high school's main interior courtyard.
Your purchase will help the class of your choice as well as the PTO.

Click HERE for more information and to make your purchase!

Show your Weston Spirit and purchase a car magnet - for $5.00 each!

To order, please email alimelito818@gmail.com 

All proceeds will benefit the class of 2022. Payments will be made via Venmo or check, and magnets will be delivered to your mailbox within 10 days. More details when you email!

Dear Weston Community, 

We hope this email finds you healthy and well!  

Even during these most challenging times, Weston’s Scouting BSA Troop 788 is determined and excited to launch their Annual Holiday Fundraiser. This has been a long-standing and cherished tradition in our town, which has brought joy to the troop and to our community, and one which the Scouts have pledged to continue safely, even amid the backdrop of an ongoing pandemic. Their commitment is admirable!  

Again this year, they will be selling premium fresh cut Christmas Trees and hand-made Balsam Wreaths as a service to Weston and as a fundraiser to help defray the cost of their scouting activities throughout the year. 

The Scouts will be kicking off their sales on Election Day, Nov. 3^rd at the Weston Middle School parking lot. And they will sell again at the Onion Barn and at Lachat Town Farm on weekends after Thanksgiving. You can also place your orders online now at: 

www.westontroop788.org

The trees are grown in New Hampshire and fresh cut a few days before they arrive on our lot. Supplies are limited, so please make sure to reserve your trees and wreaths early. We sell out every year and have to finalize orders soon. We’ll have your items tagged and ready to pick up at the Onion Barn after Thanksgiving or we can deliver them to your door for only $10.  

Please note that this year, due to availability and supply constraints, if you wish to order a tree larger than 10’ or wreaths sized 36” – 48”, they will need to be pre-ordered. Although the troop will work hard to fulfill your order, they are not able to guarantee delivery. In the event that they can’t deliver your item(s), a refund will be issued.

We thank you in advance for your continued support of the Weston Boy Scout Troop! 

Wishing you and your loved ones continued health and happy holidays! 

The Weston Boy Scouts

Facebook: Please join our Class of 2021 PTO parent page. Here is the link

Facebook: WHS Class of 2022 Parent Group, PTO Sponsored

Facebook: Parent of Weston High School (CT) Class of 2023

Facebook: Please join the WHS PTO Class of 2024 Parent Group

The Class of 2024 is holding a Pet Goods Food Drive, benefitting PAWS (Pet Animal Welfare Society). The SGA has placed bins under the overhang in front of the high school to collect items. Please see the flyer below for more information about this student-led drive and specifics on the items they are looking to donate. Thank you for contributing and supporting this cause!

The freshman student government is doing an animal food/toy drive for their community service project and would love if any PTO members would be interested in helping donate.You can find the flyer for the drive below, all you have to do is scan the QR code and it will take you to a list of items that you can purchase to donate!

Here is the link to the Amazon wishlist in case QR code does not work: 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/ls/ref=?ie=UTF8&lid=3AQJ77UQG54SU&sort=universal-title&ty=wishlist