Please enjoy the November issue of the AMS Family Connection newsletter. I hope you enjoyed last month's edition and find this one as informative.

It looks like a beautiful weekend is in store. I hope you take the opportunity to enjoy being outside and don't forget to turn back your clocks Saturday night.

We had a successful Open House this past Saturday.

Thank you to all families that volunteered. I also want to thank the families that helped promote the Open House by placing a yard sign in their yard, distributing flyers, sharing social media posts, or word of mouth advertising.

Choosing a school is one of the most important decisions families make for their children, so I appreciate your help with advertising and showcasing Thacher. The families that attended seemed interested, happy, and eager to learn more. We are already starting to see positive results.

Please feel free to return all yard signs.

Thank you again for helping to make the day successful.

Sincerely,

Nikki

When dropping off or picking up your child, we ask that parents not pull over and park by the shed/trash area of the parking lot to wait for your designated drop-off or pickup time. This causes confusion as other cars think these vehicles are in the queue, thus creating two lanes where there is no space to go around.

If you are early and waiting for your designated drop-off or pickup time, please park in a parking spot or on the gravel. This will aid in a smooth process for all.

Thank you for your support as we work to receive and dismiss our students safely and promptly.

Our Librarian, Kim Storch, thanks everyone who supported this year's very successful Fall Book Fair. All profits from the Fair go directly to Thacher's library.

If your child received pizza on Wednesday and your payment has not gone through, please place your order again and follow it through to the payment page.

If your child did not receive pizza, it's not too late to order pizza for the rest of the session.

If your child wants to increase from one to two slices, please contact Renay ([email protected])

You are welcome to order pizza for students in all classes - pizza will be delivered to classrooms at lunchtime and served with a piece of fresh fruit every Wednesday.

If you have questions regarding Pizza Wednesdays, please contact Renay Bane at [email protected].

If, for any reason, you want a retake of your child on Picture Retake Day, please send in the entire photo package. Note any special instructions on a piece of paper visible to the photographers.

Please keep only the all-class photo.

Have you checked out the Nurse's Corner on our website? It is a great place to reference our healthcare policies.

We have leaped into cold and flu season and are reminded that there are viruses that don't include the "C" word! Attached are the two most frequently accessed references, the Covid-19 Protocol and the Daily Health Check, which will answer questions about when a student should stay home when symptoms arise. The Covid-19 protocol is from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and references testing in school. Thacher does not offer in-school testing.

Thacher does not mandate flu shots but encourages one for everyone. If your child has had their 2022 physical and you still need to provide me with their school/camp physical form, please forward it to me.

A student's first year at school is typically met with increased colds and viruses. It is typical and expected, no matter how much we wash our hands and take precautions. The great news is that this doesn't last forever. Here is a  helpful article by Steve Silvestro, MD, on first-year school illnesses and another about the uptick of RSV.

Please contact nurse Carolynn Moore at [email protected] or 617-361-2522 ext. 36 with any questions or concerns.

Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 2:00 pm

Thacher's Family Network is partnering with New England Base Camp for Thacher School days off on 12/19-23, 1/3, 2/17, 3/17, and 4/24 of the 2022-23 school year. The Camp is for children five and up. If you plan on signing up for the October 28 date, please do so soon. NE Basecamp must meet a minimum number of kids to run the program.

Please join us for an adult hike in the Blue Hills every other Wednesday. Meet in the parking lot across from school after drop off around 8:40 am.

We are paused for deer hunting season and will resume on 11/30. For questions, please contact TFN co-chairs Daniela Field and Kirsten Glynn.

Head over to Houghton's Pond after school on Fridays to let your kids run and play. See you there!

All parents are invited to join the Thacher Montessori Parents Facebook group. The goal of the group is for parents to have a space to share resources, ask questions and support each other in the community. Join today!

For questions, please get in touch with TFN co-chairs Daniela Field and Kirsten Glynn.