News
- Families in Need Holiday Gift Drive
- Holiday Shopping Season - Support Bowman
- Bowman Read-A-Thon - Coming Soon
- Volunteers Needed
- CORI Checks and COVID-19 “cleared"
Thank You!
News
Families in Need Holiday Gift Drive
HELP FAMILIES DURING THE HOLIDAYS: Bowman Holiday Gift Drive
This year the Bowman PTO is once again partnering with The Second Step Organization, a non-profit based in Newton, Ma (www.thesecondstep.org). The Second Step partners with women and child survivors of domestic violence to foster a supportive community and identify pathways to physical and emotional healing, housing, and financial security. These past two years have been especially difficult for survivors of domestic violence who have been experiencing increased risk of abuse, isolation, and difficulty escaping danger due to Covid-19. Many are also experiencing loss of wages and the inability to meet their family’s basic needs, including food, rent, car payments, and essential health supplies. Factors such as unemployment, job loss and economic hardship trigger and increase both the severity and lethality of domestic violence.
The PTO Holiday Gift Drive is a terrific opportunity to meet the immediate needs of these families and help make their holidays a little brighter. This year, we will be collecting gift card donations and some specific gifts requested by Second Step families. If you'd like to participate, please sign up for the items you will purchase at this Sign Up Genius. You can also make a cash donation (venmo instructions in link) which we will use to purchase gift cards on your behalf through Bowman's Scrip partnership. Please note that we will be adding options to Sign Up Genius as we get a more curated list from Second Step on their needs.
Drop Off Instructions:
Please label your gift/gift card purchases with your name on it. Gift cards should be in an envelope with your name on it. There are two options for drop off:
- During rolling car drop off and pick up at Bowman, you can hand your gift/envelope to a Bowman staff member
- We will have a collection box in the Bowman Lobby (the area between the two double doors)
We will be collecting donations between Monday Nov 29th and Tuesday Dec 7th.
Holiday Season Shopping!
Support Bowman as you Shop for the Holidays
Holiday Cards: Consider ordering holiday cards from Minted.com. You will get 20% off on your order. Use the code: FUNDRAISEBOWMAN and Bowman PTO will receive 15% of proceeds.
Amazon Smile: Use Amazon Smile for all your purchases. Amazon will donate 0.5% of all eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the Bowman Elementary School PTO!
Gift Cards: Buy any of 750 popular brand gift cards from ShopWithScrip.com and Bowman earns rewards. Use Bowman PTO code: PTK5LLQXFF7G Choose e-gift cards for immediate delivery without fees
Cricket Flowers: Purchase Flowers by calling 781-861-1030 (not available on online orders) and mention Bowman Elementary School. Cricket Flowers will donate $10/- for every order of $70 or more (tax and delivery extra)
Thank you for your ongoing support!
Bowman Read-A-Thon
Coming soon!
Bowman Read-A-Thon is back again during the winter break.
We want everyone to join the fun, students are not required to collect donations in order to participate. Top readers , top fundraisers and top classes will all get prizes. Details to follow.
This is an important fundraiser to support additional classroom programs and supplies (through teacher reimbursements), virtual “field trips”, grade level experiences, curriculum enhancement (science fair, math nights, etc.), community building, and cultural events. Please support our activities through this fundraiser! We hope students will join in this Read-A-Thon this winter break and find joy in reading!
Volunteers Needed!
The PTO is always looking for volunteers to help and support events throughout the year! Right now, we are still looking for a person or multiple people to help coordinate a few special programs and events, including ACT (Arts Created Together), Map Night, and Artsonia.
If you are interested or want to learn more about what these roles entail, email [email protected] and we would be happy to tell you more! Most, if not all, of the help with these events can be done from home. If you are interested in one or more of these roles, the PTO would really appreciate it! Otherwise, they are at risk of not happening this year.
We always are in need of lunch volunteers! There are multiple shifts open each week. Please click on this link to Sign Up! Email [email protected] with any questions. See the new Lunch Volunteer Training Slideshow and Updated Instructions for Composting.
Thank you to everything our volunteers do each and every week!
CORI Checks and COVID-19 “cleared”
Please remember that it is district policy that anyone who volunteers (lunch, Big Backyard, library, Room Helpers, PTO events, etc) in our school must have a CORI check completed by Lexington Public Schools AND be COVID-19 “cleared” COVID-19: Clearing LPS Volunteers for 2021-22. Any questions regarding the CORI check, please contact Mrs. Ashness ([email protected]) or Mrs. Barnes ([email protected]) in our Main Office. Please do not wait; it can take several days for a “check” to come back which may prevent you from joining in the fun. Any questions regarding the COVID-19 clearing process, please contact Mrs. Claffey ([email protected]). Please note, in addition to requiring an LPS CORI, all volunteers will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
Thank You
From Bowman Girls Who Code Club
Thanks to all of the enthusiastic girls who have joined the Bowman Girls Who Code Club that started this month! In addition, thank you to Mrs. Udell who is our faculty “Decision Maker” and the support of Principal Corduck. Thanks to our volunteer facilitators this year Courtney Jones, Jackie Anderson, Karin Ornstein, and Brandy Hartford.
We would also like to thank the Bowman Staff with a couple of messages that were created in Scratch by our club members:
Bowman Experiences
Thank you to all of the teachers and staff who have volunteered their time for the amazing Bowman Experiences.
Additionally, thanks to our business supporters who donated items for our auction: AoPS Academy Lexington, empow Studios, LexFarm, Noteworthy Experiences, and Penguin Coding School.
Many many thanks to all the families who won silent auction items for your donations to the Bowman PTO. Thanks to our fundraising team for organizing the experiences and running the auction: Lakshmi Ramanath, Christine Newman, and Tracey Dawson.
Giving Thanks
The Staff Appreciation Team organized individually boxed Thanksgiving themed cupcakes to faculty and staff. In an effort to support local businesses, the cupcakes were purchased from Cake Niche in Lexington Center. If you haven't been before, definitely check it out! The cakes, cupcakes, pastries and cookies are delicious and the owner is so kind.
Reminders
January 2022 Submissions
Broadside submissions should be sent to Monika Manocha (who will be taking over for Lisa Splitz) at [email protected]. The deadline for the January issue is December 22.
