Holliston Youth & Family Services Webinars: Executive Function Strategies for Creating Successful Students

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Holliston Youth & Family Services has partnered with Engaging Minds to offer 2 webinars on Executive Function Strategies for Creating Successful Students. The first webinar on January 24th will focus on students in grade K-5. The second webinar on January 31st will focus on grades 6-12. Click the image appropriate for student’s grade level below to register.

January 24th - 12pm - Grades K-5

Click the image to register

January 31 - 7pm - Grades 6-12

Click Image to register

Community Impact: What Your Donations Have Done So Far

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With Thanksgiving upon us, we'd like to take a moment to share how thankful we are for your generous support of the PTO and of the HPS Community. We're only 3 months into the school year and because of your donations and memberships, we've already been able to provide:

  • breakfast for students in need at all 4 schools

  • Puzzles and kinetic sand for a destressing zone in the RAMS library

  • Birdseed to attract birds for observation for Ms. DeLuca's 7th grade science class

  • Paper cutters and laminators for teachers to create reusable materials for their classrooms

  • Mosaic Puzzle Posters to build community at RAMS

  • Sketchbooks for art classes

  • Fidgets and stickers for classroom prize boxes

  • Timers and clocks to build student executive function skills

  • Wireless presentation remotes to enable teachers to move around classrooms during lessons, better utilizing proximity as a behavior management technique

  • Flexible seating, including yoga mats, pillows, wobble stools, and Montessori-aligned desks, for multiple classrooms

  •  Classroom scientific calculators, scissors, pencils, and other school supplies to increase equity across all 4 schools

  • Breakfast for faculty and staff on professional development days

  • Emergency clothing for students in need

  • Pumpkins for the elementary pumpkin stroll

This is not an exhaustive list, but provides a sense of what your donations can accomplish. Please join us for a PTO meeting if you’d like a better sense of the budget and program funding.

Community Impact: Operation Pumpkin Patch!

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As part of our Community Impact blog series, we highlight events where the community came together in support of our schools. Recently, Out Post Farm and 17 PTO volunteers worked together to accomplish Operation Pumpkin Patch! This was a coordinated effort to transport 260 pumpkins from Out Post Farm to Placentino for the PreK/K Pumpkin Stroll which was held on October 27th.

The Pumpkin Stroll is a favorite Placentino fall event where Pre-K and Kindergarten students decorate little pumpkins for their class pumpkin patch, parade outside the school in fall attire or costumes, and then sing adorable fall/pumpkin related songs for their families.

We’d like to extend a big THANK YOU to Out Post Farm for providing over 260 pumpkins and to the 17 volunteers who loaded, transported, unloaded, and created the Pumpkin Patch!

Volunteers:

  • Beth Leach

  • Brittany Ela

  • Elissa Simkins

  • Elizabeth Navarro

  • Emily Raffile

  • Jacqueline Hayes

  • James Archibald

  • Jennifer Schiavoni

  • Jess Scalzo

  • Liz Ahluwalia

  • Lucas Wisner

  • Marissa Marcoux

  • Marissa Santos

  • Mary Ann Sanchez

  • Mary Arnold

  • Michelle Nauss

  • Sarah Hill

PTO Hosts First Autumn Appreciation Gathering 10/26/2023

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On Thursday evening, October 26th, we had a fantastic time with parents, teachers, staff, SEPAC, and HYFS at our first Appreciation Gathering! We thank everyone who joined us to celebrate our wonderful volunteers and school community, as well as Anthony's on the Green who did a spectacular job with the catering and service.

An Update from the Outdoor Learning Alliance (OLA)

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Placentino Courtyard

The Outdoor Learning Alliance (OLA) is a PTO sub-committee dedicated to creating outdoor learning spaces where all children can learn, play, and rest. Since first breaking ground in November of 2022, they have been busy turning the Placentino Courtyard into a beautiful garden of learning and discovery. The project concluded this fall with the planting of new spring bulbs in the courtyard.

OLA is deeply appreciative of Barrios Landscaping for donating close to 100 hours of labor (wow!), Jim Stucchi and Ahronian Landscaping for the many plants and materials they generously donated.

Next, the OLA is bringing their magic to the outdoor spaces at RAMS. This fall, the OLA team spruced up the garden bed next to the RAMS entrance, and is now in a conceptual phase of working on the “learn and rest” garden space for RAMS. The OLA is also in talks with the administration about planting shade trees around the most sun exposed walls of RAMS as a means of passive cooling during heatwaves. 

To learn more about the OLA, click here to view their webpage or email outdoorlearningalliance@gmail.com.

 

Thank you to Jim Stucchi of Stucchi Landscape and Design for donating the plants for the RAMS entrance!

 

BEFORE

RAMS Entrance

Garden Plans

Placentino Courtyard

Flowers in bloom

Placentino Courtyard

Yoga Frog Circle

Placentino Courtyard

Tim’s Tree

Placentino Courtyard

Enjoying Nature

Placentino Courtyard

AFTER

RAMS Entrance

Work in progress

Placentino Courtyard

Landscaping Extraordinaires

Placentino Courtyard

Seating for outdoor learning

Placentino Courtyard

Grand opening!

Placentino Courtyard

Rock Garden

Placentino Courtyard

Flowers in bloom

Placentino Courtyard

 

Spirit Wear Fundraiser - Coming Soon!

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Already thinking about holiday gifts? We’ve got you covered!

The Holliston Spirit Wear store is planned to launch on October 20th through November 15th. A change for this year is that SEPAC branded items will also be available through the Spirit Wear store!

Sample images - actual designs will be available in the spirit wear store on october 20th - stay tuned!

We’ll send an email as soon as the store is open. The store is open to all - please feel free to send the link to family and friends to stock up on their Holliston gear!

Email pto.funds.holliston@gmail.com with any questions.

Holliston Ski Club is a 'GO' & Ski/Snowboard Chairperson is still needed!

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Skiers! Snowboarders! Chaperones!

Look for ski club details and sign-up information mid-October. This year’s Ski Club Coordinators are:

Ski Club Chair: OPEN

  • Miller Ski Club Coordinator: Justin Wing

  • RAMS Ski Club Coordinator: Elissa Sanford

  • HS Ski Club Coordinator: Andy Ferland

We are still in need of a Chairperson (overall coordinator). See the position description below & email hollistonpto@gmail.com to learn more if you are interested!

 

Townwide Ski/Snowboard Club Chairperson

  • Timeframe: Short-term commitment: November through January (5-10 hours total during November & December; 1 hour/week January – early February while program is active)

  • Responsibilities: The Townwide Ski/Snowboard Club Chairperson makes sure the (already set up) registration system is good to go, contracts with the mountain (Nashoba Valley), and contracts the bus company (Fox Bus Lines) that transports students to the mountain. Also promotes and communicates program details and registration info to parents and students, and plans the rental equipment fit night. The Chairperson oversees the school-level Ski/Snowboard Coordinators, providing lists and information to them as the coordinators run the program week-to-week at each school. Program runs once per week for 5 weeks in January and early February – Thursday nights for Adams and Friday nights for Miller. The Chairperson is not responsible for the weekly departures from the schools, and does not need to be there unless they want to or want to chaperone – or simply want to go along and ski. The Chairperson receives a free pass for the dates of the program if they would like.

  • ***Note: The previous Chairperson will be available to help with setup and questions. ***

 

Community Impact: Color Run & Staff Back to School Breakfast

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Through this Blog series, we’ll be highlighting the community’s impact on different PTO-sponsored events. Read what your contributions made possible for the Color Run and Staff Back to School Breakfast.

First Ever Kids Color Run Fundraiser - August 27, 2023

This year the PTO kicked off the school year with the Color Run - a fundraiser where participants in PreK through 5th grade run, skip, walk or roll through colored powder, turning the runners into a messy rainbow of color. What’s a better way to kick off the school year than making a mess outside in the sunshine with your friends? 

This event drew over 150 runners and raised over $1200 for the Holliston PTO! Fundraisers are a critical component of the PTO’s ability to fund programs that support our schools and students such as Parent to Parent, Culture Connection, Mindshare, Grants, Social Events (dances, carnivals, field days), and so much more. 

The equally critical component to the PTO’s ability to operate is the VOLUNTEERS! None of our events or programs would be possible without the amazing members of the HPS community who choose to offer their time and talents to make these events a reality. Twenty volunteers offered up their Sunday morning to throw color, check in participants, sell snacks, and make sure fun was had by all. 

This new fundraiser was the idea of the newly established Fundraising Committee in June of 2023. In just 2 short months of planning, the Color Run was made a reality. Many thanks to Lindsay Galvin for initiating the planning, and Lucy Weinburg and May Ramos who went above and beyond to make it all happen! From setting up the race registration website, to booking the Kona ice truck, to making Color Run T-Shirts and coordinating with the many involved parties - this team did a fantastic job in a short period of time.

We especially thank the administration for allowing us to hold this event on school grounds, and to Mr. Keim for saving the day with the speaker and microphone!

Thank you to everyone who participated, planned, and supported the Color Run. The money raised will go towards funding 2023-2024 school year programs.

Volunteers*:

Amanda Furlong

Anna Mensing

Barbara Ryan

Beth Leach

Brenda Elwell

Eliza Watt

Emma Elizabeth Scott

Evie Thibault

Hiatt Mueller 

Jacalyn Judd

Jess Scalzo

Jimmy Ryan

Katie DellaRocca

Kyle Raffi 

Lindsay Galvin

May Ramos

Melissa Hutchinson

Micah Watt

Mirembe Reed

Nadeeka Thiththagalla Gamage

Pooja Gupta

Preetha Rao

Sarah Kane

Stacey Raffi

*We apologize if we missed anyone - this list is from the sign up genius as of 8/25/13

Staff Back to School Breakfast - August 28, 2023

For several years the PTO has been hosting the Staff Back to School Breakfast on the first day of school for employees. This breakfast is held at the high school where all of the district staff have an initial meeting at the start of the school year. Sarah Rotz has been organizing this warm welcome for over 10 years with the help of many dedicated volunteers.

This year, $990 was donated from the community to fund the catering and purchase of other supplies. In addition, over 20 community members purchased items at the grocery store and delivered to the homes of the breakfast organizers, who then had to set up at 6AM on a Monday (that’s dedication!).

Thank you to the amazing HPS community for your generous donations and time spent working together to give the HPS staff a great start to the 2023-2024 school year!

Do you have an idea for a fundraiser or PTO initiative? Or are you looking to get involved in existing programs? Please let us know - we’d love to involve as many HPS community members as possible! Whether you want to volunteer at one event, make a donation, or join a committee or hold a PTO position - there are options to work with anyone’s schedule or bandwidth. 

Volunteers*:

Barbara Ryan

Catie Ehret

Joy Green

Kaela Doss

Karen DiModica

Karla Alfred
Kerry Peterson

Pooja Gupta 

Sarah Rotz

Stacey Raffi

*We apologize if we missed anyone - this list is from the sign up genius as of 8/28/13

Teacher and Staff Wish List

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The PTO is facilitating a Year-Round Teacher Request Process to open a more flexible channel for teachers and staff with small material needs to get support from the families of HPS students and community. Click below to view the wish list on Amazon.

Purchase from the wish list and ship directly to the school with attention to the teacher’s name. Items can also be shipped to your home address and dropped off at the school office.

If you’re not sure which teacher the item is for, email hollistonpto@gmail.com.

Make A Difference With Us

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The Holliston PTO exists because of the generosity of our members, volunteers, and donors.

The fees, donations, and fundraisers make it possible to achieve the mission of supporting our schools and students in creative and fun ways! To elaborate, we are able to support our students, teachers, staff, and administrators because of our volunteers and members; this winning combination has a positive impact through the donations of time, talent, and money.

Because of you we are able to provide:

  • Teacher & Staff Back to School Breakfast & Appreciation Week events

  • Provide essential PTO programs such as teacher grants and reimbursements, the Ski Club, school dances, Classroom Coordinators, Parent/Caregiver Education, Culture Connection

  • HHS Senior All Night Grad Party

  • Host our first Elementary School Color Run!

  • Annual High School Scholarship (*seniors apply)

  • End of year celebration for 8th Graders

  • Support initiatives like the “Outdoor Learning Alliance”, a sub-committee that is reinvigorating the Placentino courtyard and other school outdoor spaces 

  • Pre-K/K carnival

  • Socials 

  • Book Fairs

  • Your good idea - we can help bring it to fruition!

  • And much more…

With your commitment we will accomplish all of these fun events and more including recognizing and providing resources to such a deserving team of professionals! 

There is no time commitment required to join.  In addition to our fundraising efforts and enrichment programs, we depend on annual memberships to help fund insurance that makes all of our family events possible. This allows us to build a strong school and community.

Make your contribution today by renewing a membership or consider becoming a new member.

Thank you for renewing and / or considering joining us!

The PTO Team

Please contact hollistonpto.exectreasurer@gmail.com if your desire to become a member or to renew membership is complicated by the fee - we are here to help and our goal is to have as many people participate as possible.