November 2024
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From theSuperintendent's Desk |
Dear Carlisle Families,
November has arrived and along with the falling leaves we have had a surprisingly warm autumn. It is looking to be another exciting month at Carlisle Public Schools. But before we close out October I just want to thank our staff, students, and families for an amazing Halloween Parade yesterday, and I hope you were able to continue the Halloween fun into the evening Among the many events and activities coming up in November we have an extended Veterans’ Day weekend coming up and of course Thanksgiving break at the end of the month.
Remember to pack your student’s smile on Tuesday, November 5th as it is School Picture Day. Individual and class photos will be taken that day. The Carlisle PTO is hosting two in-school student assemblies called Understanding Our Differences on Monday, November 18th, one for our middle school students and one our elementary school students. The program will focus on understanding differences in general as well as learning differences. Following the introduction, a graduate student who is an author and speaker will share details on their journey with a Dyslexia diagnosis. We are also looking forward to celebrating our student’s musical talents at the fall choir and band concert to be held in the auditorium on Wednesday, November 20th.
On the operational side of the school, fall is the season for town-wide budget preparation, and we have been hard at work developing the initial FY26 budget proposal which we are hoping to share at the November 13th School Committee meeting. The Public Budget Hearing for the FY26 district budget is scheduled for the December 11th School Committee meeting. We invite you to join us at these upcoming meetings to learn more about the school district budget.
The month of November contains two celebratory events which many are looking forward to; Veteran’s Day on November 11th and Thanksgiving Day on November 23rd. This year the district has an extended long weekend with an early release day on Friday, November 8th for staff professional development and no school on Monday, November 11th in observance of Veteran’s Day as we honor those who have served in the military past and present. For the Thanksgiving break there will be an early release on Wednesday, November 27th and school will be closed on Thursday, November 28th and Friday, November 29th.
While Thanksgiving is a time when many families and friends reunite and express gratitude for one another, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our hard-working faculty and staff, our supportive and engaged parents and community members, and of course our amazing students. I am thankful to have the opportunity to work with each of you every day.
Wishing you all a joyous month and a Happy Thanksgiving!
Warm Regards,
Jim O’Shea
Superintendent
School Events and Information
SCHOOL CALENDAR
Click here to view and download the 2024-2025 calendar
NOVEMBER LUNCH MENU
Click here to view the November 2024 Lunch menu
WINTER ATHLETICS
Middle School Basketball Signups - Grades 5-8 - Girls’ basketball and Boys’ basketball sign-up sheets are up in the Corey Gym. Please sign up if you are interested in playing. The commitment is Monday - Thursday 3:05-4:15PM for practices. Games start at 3:30 PM and 4:45 PM and generally end around 5:45 PM. The basketball season will start December 4th and run through February 8th. All players must have a current physical (within the calendar year) on file with the nurse’s office.
User Fee: $225.00 check made out to the town of Carlisle or online payment is available on the Carlisle Public Schools Website under the Important Links section of the Business Office webpage.
Intramural Winter Program - Grades 4-8 - Intramural Floor Hockey. Girls and boys interested in playing intramural floor hockey. Please sign up in the gym. The program will start after February vacation.
Time: 3:05-4:15 PM
Where: Corey Gym
Cost: $55.00 made out to the Town of Carlisle
See Mrs. Carmel for more details.
Indoor Recess Volunteer Opportunities
When indoor recess happens due to inclement weather, students enjoy recess in their homerooms. We are hoping to create a list of parents who would be able to possibly come in on short notice to monitor a homeroom for 20-25 minutes. If you are interested or would like to learn more, please contact Registrar/Recess Supervisor Linda Cavallo-Murphy at lcavallomurphy@carlisle.k12.
Carlisle Music Department Annual Fruit Sale
The Carlisle Music Department will be holding its annual Fruit Sale to raise money to provide valuable musical experiences for our students. To purchase an item, click on the "Products" tab or the button to the right that says “Place Your Order Here." We are exclusively accepting online orders this year. When you place your order, you will be asked to choose a "seller." There will only be one seller for our fruit sale this year, which will be listed as "Music Department."
Order Site: https://freshfruitorder.org/CarlisleMusic/Organizations/LandingPage.aspx
IMPORTANT: You are welcome to pick up your item yourself or arrange for someone else to pick it up as long as we are shown an order confirmation or receipt during pickup. The pickup location is the cafeteria at Carlisle Public School. Please use the main entrance. The deadline to place an order is 11/17/24. The fruit is tentatively scheduled to be delivered to Carlisle Public School on 12/9/2024. Once we receive confirmation of the date of delivery, we will share this with the Carlisle Community. We expect to share this information one week before the delivery date. Please check this website the week prior to the tentative delivery date for exact details about the delivery time and location for pickup.
If you have any questions about the fruit sale, please contact musicdepartment@carlisle.k12.ma.us.
Picture Day - Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Please mark your calendars for Fall Picture Day on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Paper order were sent home with student(s) earlier this week. If you would prefer to order online, please follow these instructions. Picture retakes are scheduled for Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
Please note that the school's unique order code that is on the online notice and also on the paper flyer, is for pre orders only. This code expires at midnight on picture day, and this is clearly noted as such on the notice. Families that missed preordering will have another ordering opportunity when they receive their child's proof photo, approximately 4-5 weeks after picture day.
BACK UP PLANS
Please make sure you have back up plans that your child is aware of, should after school activities suddenly be canceled. During cancelations or emergencies, the Main Office phones are usually busy and not available to call home or relay messages. Please go over with your child ahead of time what they should do in case their activity is canceled.
CHILD FIND NOTICE
Carlisle Public Schools, is dedicated to meeting the needs of all students. In accordance with IDEA and Massachusetts Chapter 71B, all public schools must provide special education for children determined to be educationally disabled. The law requires a school district to identify such children from age 3 to 21 years of age and applies to all children, including those in non-public schools, pre-schools, and hospital settings. In addition, children of migrant or homeless families are also entitled to public education. The Carlisle Public Schools is responsible for students from age 3 throughout their 8th grade year.
Parents or service providers with concerns that a child might have an educationally disabling condition are encouraged to contact Student Support Services. Carlisle Public Schools will provide parent support and arrange for the screening and evaluation of any student who is not able to progress effectively in general education due to a disability.
For more detailed information about the policies, procedures, and services available at Carlisle Public Schools for special education, please contact Lori Bruce, Director of Student Support Services, at lbruce@carlisle.k12.ma.us or 978-369–3758.
Are you without a home or do you know a homeless family?
EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS OF HOMELESS CHILDREN
Carlisle Public Schools is committed to ensuring that any student who meets the criteria of a homeless student is protected under the rights set forth by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This federal law is designed to ensure that homeless children and youth have the same access as other children to public education, including public preschool programs. To obtain a brochure or the Homeless Education Manual, or if you have any questions about the McKinney-Vento Act, please contact Lori Bruce, Director of Student Support Services, at lbruce@carlisle.k12.ma.us or 978-369-3758.
CPS Spirit Shirts are now available!
We have retired the different colors per grade and are launching the new Tie Dye shirts for the entire school! This is to make it easier for families as well as reflect the fact that CPS is one community. The link to order is below!
https://www.bonfire.com/cps-
FAMILY BOLLYWOOD DANCE PARTY - November 14, 2024
Family Bollywood Dance Party
Brought to you by Carlisle DEICAC
November 14, 2024, 5:00 - 6:30PM, FRS Hall, 27 School Street, Carlisle MA
Enjoy a professional dance lesson and mango refreshments — take over the dance floor with your family and friends! The whole family is welcome!
FREE EVENT - sign up here, Donations greatly appreciated to support ongoing DEICAC programming
The Carlisle SEPAC has applied to be part of the November cohort of the APPLE institute (Advancing Parent/Professional Leadership in Education Institute) through FCSN (Federation for Children with Special Needs).
This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to Carlisle's SEPAC by attending several online meetings organized by FCSN, an organization dedicated to help parents and professionals to support the education of those who learn in different ways. We are able to take on a few additional parent/caregiver team members and wanted to gauge interest from the school community. We would really appreciate your participation to make our SEPAC more visible and support our students and families. Info on the APPLE institute is below, or a 12 minute video presentation about APPLE is here. For a longer research brief click here.
**If you are interested in participating in the APPLE institute, please send an email to carlislemasepac@gmail.com**
The online kickoff meeting is scheduled for November 14th from 9:30-11:30 AM.
The Advancing Parent/Professional Leadership in Education (APPLE) Institute is a free, virtual program designed to help family leaders, school administrators, and community members form strong, collaborative leadership teams that boost family engagement within school districts. Research consistently shows that when families, schools, and community organizations collaborate, students thrive. This cohort is only for SEPACs and their school districts with a focus on addressing the needs of families and staff regarding the new IEP. The school district teams selected for this APPLE cohort will build trust within their team while developing and promoting a needs assessment survey, co-hosting a district-wide event, and creating materials in multiple languages. Teams will also co-design an action plan for the 2025-2026 school year that addresses needs identified by the team. The action plan is not limited to activities related to the new IEP.
Back by popular demand! The Gleason Public Library Endowment, Books and Brews -- Saturday, November 16 6:30-9:30 PM
Join the Gleason Endowment for a fun fundraiser! Your $80 donation includes beer, wine, a jazz combo and, because knowing things is fun, the evening features a professionally hosted trivia event with Geeks Who Drink. The Gleason is more than a place to take your child for story time or a study hall for middle schoolers—its also a place to kick back with other adults. So lets put the "fun" back in "fundraiser," while also raising money for a much-needed library renovation! Come join us! $80 per person; pay by cash or check (made out to "GPL Endowment"). For ages 21+
Visit the website to reserve your tickets, https://gleasonlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/books-and-brews
Photo Gallery
Other Items of Interest
Concord Carlisle Youth Hockey In-Town Registration Open for 2024-2025
Registration is now open for Learn-to-Skate, Learn-to-Play, and Hot Shots.
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Hot Shot Hockey is for Boys and Girls 8-15 yrs old and is an in-town hockey league. Our season consists of 14+ weeks of games and practices starting on November 10th.
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Learn-to-Skate is for children 3yrs and up and teaches skating fundamentals. The Learn-to-Play program is considered our "Hockey 101" program and is geared for Girls and Boys who were born between 1/1/2016 and 12/31/2019. Both programs begin the second week of November at the Middlesex School rink.
Please visit www.ccyh.org for more details and to register your child.
Understanding Digital Health & Safety – Wednesday November 6th, 7:00-8:00 PM (Online)
Technology is ever-changing, and keeping on top of the newest and latest trends is critical to keeping kids safe online. Join nationally known speaker Katie Greer as she brings her knowledge and expertise on digital health and safety to parents, presenting tools and strategies to help your kids navigate technology in a safe and productive way. You’ll come away from this talk with practical solutions to this challenging issue. Offered through CCACE’s Parent Education program.
Information and registration: https://ccace.asapconnected.
CCHS Veterans' Day Boys Basketball Clinic
The CCHS Basketball program will be running a clinic as a fundraiser on November 11th (Veterans Day) from 9:00-2:00 PM. The clinic is open to boys in grades 2-8 and will be filled with games, contests, and scrimmages. It will be led by head coach, Dan Hunt, the CCHS basketball coaching staff, and the high school players. It is a great opportunity to come out and have fun with friends and to meet the boys high school basketball team. Don't let your son miss out, as last year there were over 100 participants who took part.
To learn more about the clinic and to sign up please use the following link: CCHS Boys Basketball Veterans Day Clinic
Information pertaining to the Carlisle-specific strategy, maps of the areas under consideration, and the approved minutes from Subcommittee meetings can be found at this link: MBTA Communities | Carlisle, MA (carlislema.gov)
Please attend, learn, opine, and help spread the good word about a Carlisle-specific strategy for compliance with the MBTA Communities Housing Mandate.
Next Buzz Issue
The next issue of The Buzz will be published in December 2024. Please email your submissions to Mary O'Regan at moregan@carlisle.k12.ma.us by 9:00 AM on Monday, December 2, 2024. Please attach information to the email in a Word file. Thank you!
The next issue of The Buzz will be published in December 2024. Please email your submissions to Mary O'Regan at moregan@carlisle.k12.ma.us by 9:00 AM on Monday, December 2, 2024. Please attach information to the email in a Word file. Thank you!
