January/February 2021

Happy New Year Little School Families!

Welcome to the first newsletter of the new year! Hard to believe it’s already February, 2021 is flying already. We’re super excited about our first event of the year, coming up on Friday February 12th: virtual family bingo! This free event will kick off February break with some fun, dancing and prizes, plus there’s the option to purchase a make-your-own pizza kit from Anthony’s Fire-Grilled Pizza in Reading! See more details here, and we hope to see you there!

After a successful fall 2020 in terms of fundraising, enrichment and morale boosting, all eyes are ahead to this spring. We’ll have more opportunities for fun and ways to support the Little School! To that end, we’d love to have you join us for our next meeting after the break on Wednesday February 24th at 7pm! 

Any ideas, comments or questions? We’d love to hear from you at the general PTO email!

Warm Wishes,

Katie Gabriello & Katie Roy

e.ethel.little.pto@gmail.com

PTO Co-Presidents

December 2020

Hi Little School Families,

We hope you're having a good short remote week! It's been a busy time at the Little School; our first remote snow day, teacher conferences, two very successful donation drives for Toys for Tots and The North Reading Food Pantry, our first fundraiser with Dascolis, and some wonderful cookie decoration all have added joy to the season for others and hopefully your families also.

We won't recap the whole newsletter here =), but as we head into a deserved break for all, we want to thank you for your support of the PTO these past few months, and always. As you know, the PTO can't function without involved families, and that's something the Little School community has in abundance! Your help, ideas, and enthusiasm are noticed and so appreciated.

Enjoy your winter break and happy New Year! Hope to see you for our first meeting of 2021 on Wednesday, January 20th.

Warmly,

Katie R and Katie G

November 2020

Hi Little School Families,

This November, it’s all about pies and enrichment here at the Little School! As you may have seen, we are well into the 9th Annual Little School Pie Fundraiser. As in past years, we’re thrilled to be supporting the North Reading Food Pantry with fresh fruit pie donations; last year our community donated more than 50 pies! Can you help us beat that goal this year? You have until Wednesday 11/18 to place your order! 

In this atypical year, the PTO is thinking outside the box for our enrichment activities. Orders have been placed for indoor recess kits for every student (remote families, stay tuned for more info!) As the weather gets colder and less friendly, these individual grade-appropriate kits will help the teachers keep the kids occupied and having fun on those inclement days! Big thanks to our enrichment committee for all their work here!

Finally, you’ll see in the newsletter that the PTO recently made a large donation to the school to help fund new technology (new smartboard and media carts!) This wouldn’t have been possible without your generosity during the annual fund drive, in particular the very generous family that made a large anonymous donation. We appreciate all of the families that made this happen!

We hope to see you at our next (virtual!) meeting on Wednesday November18th; email e.ethel.little.pto@gmail.com to be added to the meeting invite.

Warm Wishes,

Katie Gabriello & Katie Roy

e.ethel.little.pto@gmail.com

PTO Co-Presidents

October 2020

Dear Little School families,

Happy October! Now that there’s a chill in the air, it really feels like fall is here! 

Quick intro, as most of you are likely here straight from the Fall email newsletter: We are the new Little PTO presidents for the 2020-2021 school year: Katie Gabriello, mom of Johnny (1st), Betsy (pre-k) and future Little Lab Teddy; and Katie Roy, mom of Layla (1st) and Norah, who will start at the Little next year for Kindergarten. We’re both thrilled to get to know more of you, and are here for any and all ideas and suggestions as we navigated this unusual time!

Though our back to school season looks different this year, we are off to a great start across the board. We just concluded our first Pumpkins and Mums Fall fundraiser with Boston Flower Market, which raised more than $800 and supported a great local business; Annual fund donations are still coming in (and it’s not too late to make your contribution if you’d like!) and we’ve just rolled out the new apparel sale and an awesome kit of Halloween crafts for kids of all ages!

If this is your first visit to the website in a while, we do hope you’ll bookmark it! It is constantly being updated with reminders and helpful info of the PTO’s activities and events at the Little School. If you don’t already, please give us a like on Facebook or follow on Twitter or Instagram to keep up-to-date with all the PTO is doing!

Join us for our next meeting on Wednesday October 21st; email e.ethel.little.pto@gmail.com to be added to the meeting invite.

Looking forward to hearing from you and “seeing” you soon!

Katie Gabriello & Katie Roy

e.ethel.little.pto@gmail.com

PTO Co-Presidents

September 2020

Dear Little School Families,

Hard to believe back to school is here again! Though a new and different one, it’s great to be here at this Fall milestone.

Though it’s starting off unusually, we are so excited to be serving as co-presidents this school year. We have big shoes to fill after Linda Emery, but we’re hopeful the two of us are up for the task! Thank you for all you’ve done for the Little School and the PTO Linda! The welcome so far has been wonderful, and we both look forward to getting to know more of you.

We’re starting this year off without the usual events and activities you’d usually see from the Little PTO. Even so, this year the PTO is still hard at work providing educational enrichment opportunities and fun events for the students, and of course, supporting our teachers, staff and administration however we can. To that end, we hope you’ll be able to support the PTO however you can this school year--whether donating to the annual fund, purchasing apparel, participating in a fundraising event or attending the monthly PTO meeting, we’re relying on our amazing parents and guardians to bring the positive energy we’re all trying to share with our kids.

Please reach out to us to ask a question or just say hi!

Wishing you all a smooth back-to-school,

Katie Gabriello & Katie Roy

e.ethel.little.pto@gmail.com

PTO Co-Presidents

Summer 2020

Dear Little School Families,

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer vacation!

The end of the school year finished without the usual flurry of activity, but thanks to Mr. Nackley’s creativity we were able to enjoy a field day at home on a sunny and hot Wednesday. Many of you sent in photos and Amy Darling put together a slideshow of the fun (posted on our social media platforms). Thank you, Amy!

We were also able to celebrate our 5th graders in many new and special ways including yards signs, a good-bye parade, and a scavenger hunt around town. Thanks again to an incredible committee! Best wishes to all as they move up to Middle School!

While there is still so much unknown about the upcoming school year, the PTO is actively engaged in the ongoing dialogue. We will all work together to ensure our children and families have some fun in a safe way. And, as always, we will support our incredible staff as we all navigate new guidelines for teaching and learning during the ongoing health crisis.

Wishing you a fun-filled and safe summer!!

Linda Emery, 
e.ethel.little.pto@gmail.com

PTO President

April / May 2020

April 23, 2020

Dear Little School Community,

I hope this note finds you and your families safe and healthy. While we are socially distancing from friends and loved ones I am daydreaming of the time when we will all be able to once again come together in person as a community.

In the meantime, I offer my thoughts on our spring PTO events…

We are postponing Music Bingo. With the DJ, sponsors, and auction items in place, we have essentially pressed "pause" on the planning for this event and will move forward when it seems appropriate. With the closure of school for the remainder of the school year, this will be some time in the Fall. Whenever it is, we will have a wonderful time celebrating our School and our Community! If you purchased tickets, please check the email address used when placing your order for details on refunds.

The beautiful raffle baskets that were completed just before the school closure will be raffled off in May. Thank you again, to all who so generously donated items and money to create these baskets. Every student will be entered to win their grade level basket. Check your email and our website for opportunities to buy more raffle tickets for the baskets of your choice.

Thanks to our 5th Grade Committee who are continuing to work to make this year special for our 5th Graders. The class t-shirt is finished and will be distributed. Also, the yearbook is in its final stages of production.

We are still going to celebrate our AMAZING teachers and staff for Teacher Appreciation Week. They have been working tirelessly to support our students (and us!) while we all adjust to remote learning. Amy Darling is working on a slideshow so please check your email for how to submit photos and messages of thanks for our teachers.

Finally, I wish to extend a huge thank you to all of the healthcare workers, first responders, and essential services workers who continue to put themselves and their families in harm’s way. Thank you for keeping the rest of us healthy and safe!!

Wishing you all good health,

Linda

December 2019 / January 2020

Happy New Year Little School Families!

I hope everyone enjoyed peaceful and healthy holidays with family and friends. 2020 is already off to a busy start here at The Little School!

Wrapping up 2019…

Once again Trivia Night was a fun-filled evening for parents and teachers to come together in friendly competition. Special thanks to Sabrina Coviello and her amazing team of volunteers for coordinating a fantastic event. We hope to see everyone back again next year!

Our annual Thanksgiving Pie Sale was a huge success. We are especially proud of the 51 pies donated to the North Reading Food Pantry. Your generosity to our Greater North Reading Community is consistently overwhelming. Thank you to Courtney Mello and Erin Soroko for coordinating this sale.

The annual Winter Concert was on Tuesday, December 10th. This is always a wonderful opportunity for our children to showcase their musical talents and hard work. Thank you to Adriana Guzzo for spearheading our bake sale table and raffles, and to our many volunteers who helped by either bringing a baked good or working at the tables. Thank you, also, to all who enjoyed an item from the bake sale or participated in the raffle - we raised just over $1000 to support our Enrichment Programs. Congratulations to the Auciello Family and the McArdle Family, winners of the two raffle items!

We kick off 2020 with Family Bingo Night on January 24th at The Moose. Kim Begley and the Events Committee are hard at work preparing for a fun family night out. Ticket information is going out via backpack and email. Sign up early – this fun family event has sold out the previous three years! Visit our website to buy tickets now.

I wish all of you a healthy and happy 2020!! I hope to see you at a future PTO meeting or event, and would love to hear your new ideas. Email me any time!

Linda Emery
ljm0818@hotmail.com
PTO President

November 2019

Dear Little School Families,

What a busy Fall at the Little School!!

The 4th Annual Halloween Bash was a HUGE success again this year. Special thanks to Kelly Allston and her entire team of volunteers who worked to host a spectacular party! A sold-out crowd enjoyed games, dancing and contests in our Little School Café. Hopefully everyone recovered in time for trick-or-treating!

Our Pie Sale is going on now! Flyers went home in backpacks and via email last week. Please visit our website (www.littlepto.org) to place an order for these delicious pies from Mann Orchards and Wagon Wheel Farmstand. Purchase for yourself, friends, and family; and donate to our own North Reading Food Pantry. Deadline to order is November 16th.

Trivia Night is coming up on Friday, November 15th at the Moose!! Please join us for a fun, friendly competition to find out which team knows the most random information. There are also some great prizes and silent auction items including a weekend in Maine (thank you, Beckwith Family!) and the Prime Parking Space. We will also be raffling a scratch ticket tree. Buy tickets online at our website (www.littlepto.org). You don’t want to miss it!

Finally, I hope all of you enjoy rest, relaxation and joyful hearts as we approach Thanksgiving. I am so thankful for all of you and our Little School Family...my cup runneth over. I hope to see you at a future PTO meeting or event, and I would love to hear your feedback. Email me any time!

Linda Emery
ljm0818@hotmail.com
PTO President

October 2019

Welcome Back Little School Families!

Can you believe that the kids have been back to school for four weeks?? Hopefully all of you are getting settled into the Autumn routine. The PTO has been busy with back to school events and planning for a fantastic year ahead.

What a fun time we had at our annual Back-to-School Family Fun Night on September 13! So many of us enjoyed reconnecting with friends after the summer break with dancing, pizza and slush.

Our next big event is the All School Halloween Bash on Sunday, October 27 from 2p-4p in the Little School Café. Mark your calendar for this spook-tacular event and be on the lookout for more details soon. Then we have our first adult-only evening, Teamwork Trivia Night, on Friday, November 15. Book a babysitter now so that you can enjoy this exciting event! Information will be sent home via backpack and tickets will be available on our website, www.littlepto.org.

Thank you to Elena DeAngelis for spearheading our Apparel Sale once again. We will all be a tiny bit warmer than usual in our Little School sweatshirts and NR Hornets hats this winter!

October and November are going to be exciting here at the Little School! I hope to see you at one or more of these events or at a future PTO meeting. If you have any questions, comments or new ideas please share them with me - email me any time!

Linda Emery
ljm0818@hotmail.com

PTO President