This Week @ Gates
November 18, 2018
Upcoming Events

  • Wednesday, 11/21/18 - Early Release
  • Thursday, Friday, 11/22-11/23/18 - Thanksgiving Recess
  • Monday, 12/10/18 - Last day for the Mitten Tree gifts
  • Friday, 12/21/18 - Gates Annual Sing-a-long, 2pm

Spelling Bee Wrap Up

Many thanks to all the participants and volunteers who helped to make this event happen. And congratulations to the winners:
Group 1: Armaan Syed (third grade)
Group 2: Ryon Das (sixth grade)
The Gates PTO Mitten Tree Service Project is Back!
 
In 2017, we received tremendous response from Gates families and donated over 175 gifts to families in need. We are very excited to sponsor this project again and we will be adopting 15 families through the Acton Housing Authority. 
 
The Acton Housing Authority wrote a letter to Gates detailing why our participation in this annual gift drive is so important to the Acton community. We would like to share some of that information with you as we launch this year’s Mitten Tree Project: “The majority of the Acton Housing Authority families (72%) are headed by a single parent, who are working in low-wage jobs. Typically, the parents are in Acton’s workforce, working in grocery stores, daycare centers, restaurants, retail stores, nursing homes, landscaping businesses, home health care agencies, etc.”
 
It is a challenge for these families to provide for the basic needs of their household and children. So, to provide gifts over the holidays can be an extra challenge that is not always possible. Receiving gifts through donors such as the Gates Mitten Tree Project makes such a difference in their lives and really helps the family to enjoy their Holiday.
 
If you would like to participate in this year’s Mitten Tree Project, please select an item to purchase by clicking the signup . Please ask your child to select a mitten tag from the tree, which can be found in each pod beginning November 19th. The mittens have labels that should be filled out and attached to the gift once purchased. Additional mitten tags will also be available in the school office.
 
Please return the  wrapped gifts with the mitten label attached and filled out  to the donation boxes next to the Mitten Trees. We ask that all gifts be returned by  Monday, December 10th .
 
Please let me know if you have questions or concerns. Thanks in advance for your support and assistance!
 
Best regards,
Jennifer Smith
12/10 Basic Rights in Special Education

A representative from the Federation for Children with Special Needs will present a Basic Rights in Special Education workshop on Monday, December 10, from 7-9 p.m. in the RJ Grey Junior High library, 16 Charter Road, Acton. Families will get an introduction to their rights and responsibilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Massachusetts special education law. The workshop is designed to help parents/guardians learn to be effective partners with their child's school to determine their child's eligibility for special education and to plan, make decisions, and monitor their child's progress. This free, public event is hosted by the Acton-Boxborough, Concord/Concord-Carlisle, Maynard, and Sudbury Special Education Parent Advisory Councils with support from their school districts. RSVPs appreciated for planning purposes to abrsdsepac@gmail.com . 
AB School Building Project - Community Forums

Do not miss the upcoming AB School Building Project - Community Forums that will be held on Tuesday Nov. 27th at 7:00 PM & Thursday Nov. 29th at 7:00 PM at the RJ Grey Library.
Shop and Support Gates
AmazonSmile
Shopping on AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Gates school. Just sign up at AmazonSmile and register Paul P. Gates School PTO as your designated charity. Then every time you shop, AmazonSmile donates 0.5% of your purchase price to the Gates PTO. Don't forget to bookmark the website.
Donelan's Receipts for Education
Donelan's Supermarkets proudly sponsors the Register Tapes for Education Program to make a difference in local communities. Simply collect Donelan's receipts and deposited them in the collection center outside the Gates school office. These receipts are then converted into points and redeemed for equipment and supplies for Gates School.
Box Tops for Education
The Box Tops for Education program is an easy way to earn cash for Gates school. Simply clip Box Tops on hundreds of products at your local grocery store and place them in the collection box outside of the Gates school office. For each one, Gates receives 10 cents and it really adds up.
"This Week at Gates" is distributed at the beginning of each week. If you have a submission you'd like to have included in the weekly email, please be sure to email it to the Gates PTO by noon on Wednesday. 
This newsletter was created solely for the purpose of communicating school related events to parents and students.

The attached information is being released with permission of the individuals, expressly for the purpose of communicating school-related information to parents and guardians. The information may not be used for commercial use, political campaigns, or any other non-school purpose.