Star Gazing, Kindergarten Registration and Treez for Zeh

Starlab Visits Peaslee: Who says it needs to be night-time to view the wonders of the sky?  fifth graders, who are beginning their astronomy curriculum, recently had the classroom opportunity to see what the January sky looks like thanks to the Boston Museum of Science’s Starlab, an inflatable and portable planetarium.

Mike Adams, the Starlab host, had one class at a time crawl into the dome shaped planetarium to “view what’s in the evening sky right now—moon, Venus, Jupiter, Mars as well as some constellations like the Big Dipper.”

“There are thousands of stars that are able to be seen with the naked eye,” said Adams, “and we use constellations (star patterns) as a map to find other things in space.”

Starlab enables students to explore stars and how to recognize star patterns. It provides a realistic model of the night sky while projecting planets, stars and the moon.

This PTO sponsored enrichment program has been repeated from year to year because students have the opportunity to apply what they are learning in the classroom to the real world.

Students were able to share their observations with one another and have a question and answer session throughout the presentation.

All enrichment programs are sponsored by the PTO and are made possible by successful fundraisers held throughout the year.

Kindergarten Registration: If you have a child who is eligible to begin Kindergarten for the 2012-2013 school year, registration will be held on Jan. 30 through Feb. 1 at the elementary schools. Registration packets were sent out to families last week. If you are new to the area or did not receive a packet, be sure to contact the elementary school in your district directly. Full day kindergarten tuition for next year has been raised to $3,000 per student.

Cold and Flu Prevention: It’s winter and it’s just the beginning of the flu and cold season. Zeh School ‘s nurse, Marieann Blake, RN, reminds all students in a recent newsletter that frequent hand washing is still the best way to avoid cold and flu viruses, and using personal water bottles instead of water bubblers is also recommended. 

Treez for Zeh:  fifth grade student Maggie Del Re has initiated Treez for Zeh, a fundraiser to help replace trees that were destroyed in the school yard during the October storm. Donations can be sent to Treez for Zeh, c/o Liquid Ice, Inc., 100 Otis St., Suite 2, Northborough, MA 01532.

College Planning Presentation: The Northborough/Southborough Special Education Parent Advisory Council is sponsoring Linda Katz, OTR/L from Right Fit College Coaching, who will be presenting an one hour program, The 10 Biggest Mistakes Made by Parents During the College Planning Process (and how to Avoid Them), on Jan. 24 at Algonquin High School starting at 7 pm. RSVP to NSPAC1@gmail.com. This is recommended for all parents with children in grades 9, 10, and 11.

Report Cards: Parents of elementary school students should be on the lookout for the first report cards of the year which will be distributed on Jan. 23.

Long Weekend Ahead: Due to the Martin Luther King holiday on Monday, Jan. 16 and a Professional Development Day for the teachers on Jan. 17, Northborough public school students have a four-day weekend this weekend.

This column highlights some of the schools’ many special programs, speakers, events, and community service projects. If you are aware of a program that you would like featured in this column, please email Liz Nolan at lizard211@gmail.com.