March, 2016
The East PTO Digest is a monthly recap of all the great activities, events, and initiatives the PTO sponsors. Special thanks to those who have contributed photos this month including Pam Amster, Tania Manning, Chrissy Roberts, Olwyn Browne, and Jennifer Clow. A big thank you to East School parent Monica Tesler for hosting the creative writing workshops, and thanks again also to all who have helped out at the Get Smart About Art Workshops in the classrooms. It was a very busy month for the East PTO!
Events


Hobby Night/Pizza for the Playground
On March 10, East hosted its annual Hobby Night and Pizza for the Playground fundraiser.  East students showcased their hobbies and talents, and during the evening there was also a dedicated fundraiser for improvements to the East playground.  This year funds raised will go toward a memorial bench to place on the playground in honor of Kevin Bird, East School's beloved custodian who passed away unexpectedly in the Fall. We will also use funds raised to replenish balls, hula hoops and other playground equipment.
                                              ________________________________
Monica Tesler Workshop
East School Parent and Children's Book Author Monica Tesler visited the school and hosted a creative writing workshop for students.  Tesler is the author of the science fiction book, Bounders and is expecting her second book to be released in January 2017.
                                              ________________________________


Math & Literacy Night, Scholastic Book Fair & Ice Cream Social
Sponsored by the PTO, the annual  Spring Scholastic Book Fair was held March 22-24 in the East School gymnasium.  Wednesday night of the three-day Fair is always one of the busiest nights at East with an ice cream social put on by our 5th Graders and Math & Literacy Night, put on by our Literacy Team and Math Specialist. Thank you to the many volunteers who made this night so fun. 
Out and About
Second Grade Visits New England Aquarium
East second graders visited the New England Aquarium on March 9. They enjoyed petting sting rays, watched fish feeding in the big tank and attended an IMAX movie to coordinate with their study of sharks.

Fifth Grade VisitsTraveling Art Exhibit
On March 4, Senora Manning and the East 5th graders took a field trip (sponsored by the Hingham Education Foundation) to see the "Traveling Art Exhibit," featuring Pablo Picasso at Hingham Middle School. 
Enrichment
Get Smart About Art
Led by PTO volunteers, the Get Smart About Art program is a series of in-class workshops in which a particular artist and style of art is introduced to students at each grade level and a corresponding art project is completed by the class. The program wraps up with an Art Show and Film Festival later in the Spring.  
Getting To Know . . .
Tony Keady (Principal)
Q:  What do you enjoy most about your job?
A:   I don't think I can pick one thing about my job because there are many things that I enjoy about being a principal.  I love visiting the classrooms and seeing the students engaged in learning.  I enjoy the unique challenges that are part of being a principal since I am drawn to the role of being a problem solver.  As the principal, you get to see the change in students over the years from when they enter kindergarten to when they leave 5th grade.  I also look forward to greeting the kids each day because they enter the building excited to start the day.  I could sum it up by saying that the best part of my job is that there are many things I enjoy about being principal. 

Q:  If you weren't a school principal, what would you like to be doing?
A:   I have always been drawn to building 
things.  I have completed a variety of projects that include building a small wooden boat with my family, installing a large deck off the back of my house and I am in the final stages of installing a new wood floor in our family room.  It is a great feeling to look at a finished project and to see that there is something tangible and useful as a result of your efforts.  However, I will be honest to say that I feel that any alternate career path would likely involve teaching, mentoring or coaching in some form.  I feel very fortunate to have found education as a career path and I know that it is the right fit for me.  When I leave my house in the morning, I don't feel like I am going to "work"; I am going to school.

Q:   What is your favorite way to spend your weekends?
A:    My weekend time revolves around my family.  I have two boys and over the years I have coached their teams, been the scout leader and transported them to numerous other activities.  Even as they are moving through their high school years, my wife and I get to go as just spectators or transport them to wherever they need to go.  I am always mindful that missed time with your family is something you can never get back and so I try to make that the priority during our weekends.

Q:  Who was your favorite teacher and why?

A:   My favorite teacher is John Connolly, my high school biology teacher.  I was in his AP Biology class my senior year of high school and after 30+ years, he still stands out to me as the best teacher I ever had.  John was able to make a tough class enjoyable and a valuable learning experience for me.  He combined humor with academic rigor to make the material accessible and was a great mentor.  Since my boys are attending the same high school I went to, I am fortunate to still have contact with John because he is still teaching biology.  I had the opportunity to spend time with him at a recent school function and John still exudes the same enthusiasm for teaching that he did when he was my teacher.

We Need You!
When parents get involved, kids do better! Click here to visit the East PTO Volunteer Spot portal and sign up for one day events or ongoing committees! 

Give once. Your kids benefit all year long. All of the PTO events and programs are funded by your generous donations!

STAY CONNECTED:      
For questions, or if you have content you'd like to share for an upcoming Digest, please contact Kathie Cronin at kcronin99@comcast.net or Sarah D'Souza at sarahjdsouza@yahoo.com.