Oct. 6 Mid-Term Progress Reports
Oct. 13 No School: Columbus Day

Nov. 3 Term 1 Grades Close
Nov. 4 No School: Elections and Teachers’ Prof. Devel. Day
Nov. 6 Half-day:parent / teacher conferences
Nov. 7 Half-day:parent/teacher conferences
Nov. 10 Term 1 Report Cards Issued
Nov. 11 No School: Veterans’ Day
Nov. 26 Half-day: Thanksgiving Break
Nov. 27 No School: Thanksgiving
Nov. 28 No School: Thanksgiving Break

Dec. 3 Half-day: Prof. Devel.
Dec. 9 Mid-Term Grades Close
Dec. 15 Progress Reports Issued
Dec. 24--Jan. 2 No School: Winter Break

The following is a list of authors who will be giving presentations as part of our district’s Visiting Author series. These presentations are free and open to the public:

October 22: Norton Juster , author of "The Phantom Tollbooth

November 18:`Jarrett Krosoczka, author and illustrator of Good Night, Monkey Boy

February 5: Mordicai Gerstein, author of The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

(Please check our district’s web site for updated information about the time and location of each presentation.)

During the month of September White Brook students join together to help raise money for activities. Mrs. Youmell, who coordinates the drive, is very proud to announce that this year we have earned almost $23,000.00! First prize in total sales went to Mr. Doele’s sixth grade homeroom, followed closely by
Mrs. Ladouceur’s fifth grade homeroom, Mr. Buc’s eighth grade homeroom, and Mrs. Estock’s seventh grade. Although Mr. Doele’s homeroom has earned the grand prize penguin mascot, many students throughout the school have won prizes for their participation. We owe the Easthampton community a great big thank-you for supporting our efforts by purchasing magazine subscriptions and renewals through the magazine drive program.

The main office needs to be informed of any changes in your child’s emergency card, including landline or cell phone numbers and emergency contacts.

The W.B.M.S. garden is awaiting the arrival of students. There are beans to be harvested, garlic to be planted, and weeds to be pulled. There are math lessons on the probability of a seed sprouting, opportunities for creative writing, decomposition experiments, botany studies, and historical inquiries.
If you’ve never experienced the garden with your children or your students, or if you and your classes have been coming to the garden for years, join Hope this fall on Mondays or Wednesdays from now until the end of October to enjoy some project-based learning in your outdoor classroom.

Note: Please be respectful of the fact that students are learning from the projects they set up in the garden. Leave everything just the way it was when you entered the garden for a visit. You can take pictures, draw sketches, and sit on the benches, but please do not touch the projects, the plants, or any structures built by the students for the garden.

Here at W.B.M.S. we have a lot of different clubs and other groups you can join Listen to the announcements for news about meetings, and talk with your homeroom teacher about the best way to contact a teacher who runs a club or other group. Mr. Whalen is in charge of the bands and music lessons. Mr. Piaggi runs the Chorus and he is also in charge of the Memory Garden. Mrs. Cleary runs the Art Club and the Drama Club, and Mrs. McDermott is in charge of the school newsletter. Mr. West runs the Chess Club as well as Leos, a younger version of the Lions Club, which helps out with many community activities. Ms. Zanfagna is the person to contact if you’re interested in participating in TIO (Talk it Out) and /or S.T.R.A.T. (Students and Teachers Raising Awareness Together). Mrs. Kozera and Mrs. Salenkiewicz are running the Peer Leaders group, which helps to organize activities in honor of Veteran’s Day as well as the Grandparents’ Luncheon in December. Mrs. Gerry Raucher is the coordinator for White Brook’s after school program.
Our School Council is made up of administrators, teachers, parents, and students. They discuss important issues which come up during the school year. You can read the minutes of their meetings on our school’s web site.

If you have an idea for a new club or after school activity, share it with your teachers, your counselors, and the rest of your team. If there are enough students who are really interested in participating, we may be able to find a teacher or another member of the community who would accept the responsibility of running the club.

This year, more than twenty-five students have transferred into White Brook from other schools, nearby communities, other states, and even other countries. On Wednesday, October 1st, a welcome reception was held for all of them in our library/ media center.

If you know students who are new to our school, please help them out in any way you can. This makes the transition to a new school much easier for everyone, and it’s a great way to meet interesting people and make new friends.