Chatham Elementary School

A Bullying and Cyber Communication Awareness presentation for parents will be held on Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the school. The presentation will include the following topics: gateway behaviors to bullying; understanding digital communications; keeping your children safe online; your child’s digital footprint; privacy settings; social media sites; crossing the criminal line; who’s looking; strategies for parents; and resources. There will be opportunities for questions. Parents should RSVP to the school if they plan to attend.

Last week students in grades K-2 listened to stories about Martin Luther King, Jr and discussed our own dreams to make the world a better place for all. Some ideas students had were to clean up our Earth, donate food to the hungry, build homes for the homeless, create medicines so that we could cure cancer and other diseases. Work by many students will be displayed in the library.

Grade three students have completed their first "Book Talk." Students worked in pairs to read a short fiction or nonfiction book and then create a book talk or commercial about their book. Their talk gave the title, author, short summary, genre, and other important information about the book, as well as their own personal opinion and recommendation for this book without giving too much of the book away to future readers. They practiced their talk and then presented their Book Talk to the class.

Over the last two week grade four heard the story "Just A Dream" by Chris Van Allsburg and then read a play about the young life of Martin Luther King Jr. They shared their own personal dreams for creating a better world and future.

The CES PTO is holding its second annual “Fudgeraiser.” Order forms went home last week for boxes of fudge from the Candy Manor, at $12 each. Orders must be turned in by Feb. 3, and pickup will be Feb. 9.

For about five months our school community has been collecting tabs for Shriner’s Hospitals. Shriner’s Hospitals help families with children who have disabilities, sicknesses and other health issues at no cost to their families. You might be asking how Shriner’s hospitals pay for all these expensive equipment, devices and services for children. The tabs that we collect are given to St. Martin’s Lodge and they send the tabs to a refinery. The tabs are then melted and the aluminum is sold. All the profits are then donated to the 22 Shriner’s Hospitals. Locally, Ms. M’s family received a $10,000 wheelchair for her sister many years ago. Recently two men from St. Martin’s Lodge collected our tabs. St. Martin’s Lodge has helped many students here at CES. They have provided laptops, backpacks, school supplies and food for many of us. For that and much more we are grateful to have Mr. Benoit and Mr. Nickerson here to talk about the tab collection program.

We are doing a 10 day campaign for “Look for the Good.” “Look for the Good” is a program that will ask students to “Look” for what you are grateful for and thankful for. During the next 10 days there will be a “Look for the Good” announcement every morning. Students will be asked to put a sticky note with what they are grateful for on the “Gratitude Wall.” There will also be temporary “Grateful Spots” at different locations in the school on the floor. There will also be lots of chances to tell someone you are grateful, for “they matter.”

Monomoy Regional High School

There was a tremendous town turn out at the Harwich Community Center on Jan. 14 for the Jordan Fisher Memorial Basketball Tournament. The gym was packed for six hours straight with basketball games being played throughout the time and fans eagerly cheering the teams onto victory. The purpose of the event was to help raise scholarship money for the Jordan Fisher Scholarship Fund. A special thank you goes out to the Fisher Family - all the kids and alumni who volunteered to play and help out with the tournament, officials, and of course our proud fans.

Rock Bands "Someone's Little Brother" featuring MRHS junior Matt Veary and "Canon Hill" featuring MRHS senior Vaughn Yerkes and MRHS junior Ben Hayden put on a rocking performance for the students and staff of MRHS during enrichment block last week. Shout out to guest band members Michael Veary, Paddo Devine, Seamus Devine and Logan Tichnor.

Congratulations Isabelle Coughlin and Aidan Melton for being chosen to represent MRHS at Project 351.

Project 351 is a youth service nonprofit organization that develops a rising generation of “community-first” citizen leaders. Founded by Governor Deval Patrick in 2011 and now convened by Governor Charlie Baker, Project 351 fosters unity and strengthens the ethic of service through the engagement and enrichment of an eighth grade ambassador from every city and town in Massachusetts. For a year’s term, Project 351 invests in the ambassadors’ capabilities and inspires their sense of possibility through customized service experiences, results-driven leadership training, and exposure to issues, role models and opportunities that challenge and enrich. Together ambassadors progress the values of social justice, drive transformative impact for a portfolio of nonprofit organizations, and commit to a lifetime of civic responsibility and service.

The Women's Club of Chatham is sponsoring an "Art, Essay, Poetry Contest" open to all MRHS students, grades eight to 12. Who has inspired you? What woman has made a difference in your life? Family, friend, teacher, or historical figure? All entries must be submitted by March 15 with entry form. Original works may be left
with MRHS faculty members Kwon Faith- Advisor to the Young Women's Club, Carol Trull- art department, and Susan Whitcomb in guidance. Artwork can include two-dimensional, photography, painting, drawing, graphic design, abstract, realistic, or three-dimensional ceramic-sculpture. Contest rules and entry forms can be picked up in the guidance office. Finalists will be notified by April 1. A student art show and reception is planned to be
held at the Creative Arts Center in April. Awards of $100, $50, $25 in each category will be presented at the Women's Club April meeting.