PTO News

Lothrop Elementary School

3447 US RTE 7 PITTSFORD VT 05763 http://lothrop.rnesu.org/

Newsletter January 2013

The PTO meets the second Monday of every month in the school Library at 7:00 pm, anyone is welcome to join us. Basketball shoot out was good this year and each participant got a basketball. The PTO is planning a Calendar Raffle, Game night and much more so here are some important dates to remember: February 1 - Game night: more information to follow in the next newsletter February 28 - Literacy Night May 3 - Grandfriends Tea May 9 - Staff Appreciation Breakfast

Cafeteria Catch-Up 2

Lothrop Google Group 2

PE News 2

Out of Africa 3

Jeh Kulu 4

A Local Treasure 4

Inside this issue:

On November 3 a talented and dedicated crew of volunteers led by Jamie Brytowski of

Naylor and Breen built a 12' x 12' compost bin for Lothrop School. The day was chilly but

our spirits were bright. One group dutifully raked leaves for the carbon to help compost

our cafeteria food and school garden waste. It was rewarding to see our school and staff

families working side by side. We are grateful to the volunteers for all of their hard work

and Gagnon Lumber, Markowski Excavating, Brandon Lumber, and Foxcroft Farm for

their support of this project. We had an anonymous donation of tulips that were planted

around the bin. This project was funded by Project GROW, a grant from the Rutland

Regional Medical Center's James T. Bowse Community Health Trust.

...and now we are composting in the cafeteria. Thanks to a dedicated and proactive group

of 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th graders who are volunteering to manage the Waste Stream @

Lothrop! In just 1 week we doubled our “plant waste” (ask your child what that is?)

collected because the students are interested in sorting their leftovers from lunch. Kudos

also to Barb in the kitchen who is washing, rinsing and setting up the containers that we

are using. If you would like to start composting at home or have questions, let us know

and we will be happy to help out.

Project GROW News

CAPS NEEDED: Save your bottle caps for an upcoming event. Caps of any size

and color, metal or plastic. Send them in to Mrs. MacLachlan.

The PTO is on Facebook—search for Lothrop Elementary School PTO and request to be added. If you have any problems finding the page contact Kelly at kfield16@yahoo.com

Our talented food service staff of Linda, Cheri and Barb are cooking up great food for our

students and staff. Looking ahead to February, we are going to be revamping our menu to an

easier format that will include Meatless Monday. More fruits, vegetables, grains and alternative

sources of protein are good for us and the planet.

For more info, visit www.meatlessmonday.com.

Starting in January, Project GROW will purchase a winter CSA share from Groundworks Farm

in Pittsford. The produce will be incorporated into school meals and taste tests. We are looking

for parents who enjoy cooking and preparing food to help with taste tests and cooking lessons.

Contact Laura MacLachlan at lmaclachlan@rnesu.org or call the school at 483-2242.

Cafeteria Catch-Up

Lothrop Community Google Group

I participate in a parents google group in Brandon, where my children attend school and have

found it helpful and informative. We have created a similar group for Lothrop and Pittsford.

Recently I was looking for whole but unreadable CD's and I put the request on the google

group and received plenty of CD's and gently used binders also. The Recreation Department

uses it to post clinics and team sign-ups. The google group acts as a message board, available to

anyone with an email address. This is a great opportunity for us to reach out to one another and

be a resource to each other. If you are interested in joining, please send your email address to

lmaclachlan@rnesu.org, and I will add you to the group! Thank you, Laura MacLachlan

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PE News

PE classes have moved indoors for the winter months. November/ December activities have included Turkey Tag and Guard the Nest. Guard the Nest is a team game that includes some basketball skills and strategies. When in possession of the ball, a player can pivot, pass or shoot. It is a fast paced game that was enjoyed by grades 3 through 6. Kindergarten and Primary grades have been playing Sleigh Tag. We brainstormed different animals that can pull a sled or sleigh. We have also been working on jump rope skills and speedstacking. Speedstacking is a sport that involves stacking a set of 12 plastic cups in a pattern called "the cycle". Speedstacking helps to improve the hand-eye coordination that is useful in playing a musical instrument and in sports like basketball where it is important to use both the right and left hands. When we return from our winter break, all grades will be working on basketball skills. We will play a number of developmentally appropriate Lead-up Games including the following favorites: Race to the Moon, Man in the Moon, Double Dunker, Sideline Basketball, and Island Basketball. These games provide an opportunity for players of all abilities to have fun while developing the skills of dribbling, passing, shooting, and rebounding. Please help your child remember their sneakers on "gym days" so they can participate fully and safely in class activities. On slushy days, we will be asking students to wear their boots over to the gym and carry their sneakers so that we can keep the gym floor clean, dry and safe. We will look forward to a New Year of fun and fitness.—Mrs. Gee

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