April Happenings

Join us for the Cabot School PTO Spring Fling on April 5th! Get your tickets here!

And...the online auction is now live. Check out the items here!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spring Fling School-wide Free Raffle!

In the spirit of Spring Fling, Cabot teachers and staff are hosting a school-wide free raffle for all students! Each student will receive 3 raffle tickets to enter for a chance to win exciting experiences and prizes. They can place all their tickets in one option or spread them across multiple choices.

Parents and caregivers—click the link below for details to help your child decide how they’d like to use their tickets. Winners will be announced before Spring Fling! If your student doesn’t win their chosen item, there will be plenty of opportunities to bid on great prizes at Spring Fling on April 5th.

Click here for Cabot Spring Fling Lottery Items!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Volunteers Needed to Attend Creative Arts and Sciences Presentations!

Most presentations run 60-90 minutes. Think of it as chaperoning an in-school field trip. It is a unique opportunity to be in Cabot School and learning alongside your children.

Upcoming presentations include:

1st Grade: 3/28 - Discovery Museum

5th Grade: 4/4 - Discovery Museum

Kindergarten: 4/7 - Mass Audubon

2nd Grade: 4/8 and 4/9 - A Day in Ghana

3rd Grade: 4/11 - Discovery Museum

and more....

If you wish to volunteer please reach out to us at: cabot-cas@newtonptocouncil.org. All volunteers need to submit a CORI / SORI form to the main office. We really hope you can join us, without you, these presentations couldn't happen.

___________________________________________________________

Please Read! -- Front Parking Lot is for Vans Only!

The lot located in front of the school is NOT for pick-up or drop-off—it is designated for vans only. Parents should not use this lot to drop off or pick up their child. Instead, please use the blue zones assigned to your child’s grade for a safe and efficient drop-off. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our arrival and dismissal process running smoothly!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

School Transfer Request

If you are interested in submitting a School Transfer Request for the 2025-2026 school year, please click here for more information. Applications will be accepted between March 1 and May 1, 2025. Visit the “Registration” section on the Newton Public Schools website to learn more.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Attendance Notifications - Update: Please Read!

NPS requires written notification for all absences and tardies. Please be sure to fill out the Absence Reporting Form (linked below) to ensure proper documentation.

As outlined in the NPS Student Attendance and Absence Procedures (Page 3, #4), written notifications are required for all attendance-related matters.

Some families have stated they filled out the absence reporting form, but the absences are not being reported to the main office. Upon review, it seems that some families are using the absence reporting form from the 2023-2024 school year. Please ensure you are using the correct absence reporting form by clicking here.

Excused vs. Unexcused Absences

We’d like to remind families that absences due to traveling or family vacations are not considered excused absences. Even if you fill out the Google form to report an absence for traveling, you will still receive a call, email, or text on the day of the absence notifying you of it, as it remains unexcused.

For your convenience, the link to the Parent Absence Handbook is provided here. Please review the handbook for detailed information about excused and unexcused absences.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in ensuring clear communication regarding attendance.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Girls Scouts

To all the parents of current kindergarten students:
To introduce myself, my name is Heather Lockrow, and I'm the Girl Scout Troop leader for Daisy Troop 63349 in Newton. I'm writing because our Troop is still on the smaller side (we just had our first meeting in February), and we have plenty of room to grow! I would love to add additional girls to our Troop.

In terms of logistics, our Troop meets approximately two Thursday evenings a month, from 5:30-6:30, in Auburndale. There are also potentially some other events/meetings that we will have off site, but this is roughly what you'd plan on in terms of time commitment.
To answer the two big questions you might have:

To sign up your daughter, go to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts website, and make sure to register for Troop 63349. Or, contact me for help!

We are not going to sell cookies this year, largely due to timing...and I need to recruit someone ELSE to be cookie parent next year :)

If you have any additional questions, please reach out to me at hlockrow@gmail.com, or 716-982-1195.

________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

Varsity Tutor

Every student in the district can take advantage of powerful learning resources, at no cost, including weekly Live Online Classes, On Demand 24/7 Chat Tutoring, Essay Editing, Celebrity-Led StarCourses, and Self Study resources like recorded content, practice problems, and adaptive diagnostic tests

AND

Provide students a suite of effective online learning resources that cover grades K-12. Students can get extra homework help or prepare for the next big test whenever they need it.

Click here for more info!

___________________________________________________________

MCAS

Each year our 3rd, 4th and 5th graders take the MCAS test. This test helps us measure student progress and determine academic trends (both positive and negative) for our school. We use this information to plan appropriate next steps for our school and students. This is one of several data points that we use to measure our effectiveness as educators. If your child is in 3rd, 4th or 5th grade, please take a look at the schedule and plan accordingly for testing days.

Questions? Give us a call or send an email to youngsmana@newton.k12.ma.us or wrightd@newton.k12.ma.us.
We are happy to help!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kindergarten Registration - 2025

Kindergarten registration will open on March 3, 2025. Please click here to learn more about the registration process, important dates, and other details to help you prepare for the upcoming school year.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hoops United

Looking for a fun and engaging way for your child to improve their basketball skills this summer? Join us for our Summer Basketball Camp from August 25 to August 29! This one-week camp is designed for players of all skill levels who want to develop their fundamentals, build confidence, and have fun in a supportive environment.

What to Expect:
✅ Skill development (dribbling, shooting, passing, defense)
✅ Game situations and scrimmages
✅ Fun drills and competitions
✅ Experienced coaching staff
✅ A positive and energetic atmosphere

Spots are limited, so be sure to register early! For more details or to sign up, visit www.hoops-united.com or contact noah@hoops-united.com. We can’t wait to see your young athletes on the court!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

ASA Hoops

ASA Hoops summer camp registration is open, we offer co-ed and girls offerings for ages 6-15. Locations include: Brown Middle, Oak Hill Middle and Mount Alvernia Academy. Come see what has made ASA a staple in the community since 1997 - visit asahoops.com for details.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Newton Youth Lacrosse

Interested in lacrosse? It's known as the fastest game on two feet! Lacrosse is a combination of soccer, hockey, basketball and football with a rich tradition as it was originally invented by Native Americans.

Newton Youth Lacrosse offers four competitive team programs for all grades up to high school: K-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8. There is no experience required at any level, only a willingness to learn the game, practice and have fun!

If your kid is interested, please contact NYL Board Member and coach Andy Starr, father to three current Cabot Cubs at andrewjstarr@gmail.com. Andy is happy to answer any questions about the sport, the program, gear needed, etc.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lost & Found

The Cabot Cafeteria's lost and found bins are overflowing with jackets, water bottles, lunch boxes, hats, etc. Be sure to check out the bins to find missing items.

Fun fact: you can prevent your wares from being lost by trying out Mabel's Labels (put Cabot PTO as your reference and we get a share of the proceeds!).

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Have Something to Say?

The end of the newsletter is typically dedicated to posts from our community members letting you know what relevant happenings are going on in Newtonville. In the past, ads have included sports sign-ups, arts events, volunteer opportunities, etc.

If you are interested in placing a short ad here, please sign up using this form. Thanks!

_______________________________________________________

Cabot School Animal/Pet Policy

Due to safety, allergies, and student comfort level with animals especially dogs, dog/pets will not be permitted on school property, this includes the school playground, the front of the building, and other public areas outside of Cabot School or inside the school building. Having dogs on Cabot School property especially near the playground is causing high anxiety for students. This includes dogs on a leash as well.

Please adhere to the school committee policy on student safety in relation to animals in and around schools. Click here for more info.

__________________________________________________________________________________