Good afternoon,
I hope you’re doing well. As we enter a weekend with a snowstorm looming in front of us, I hope you have a plan for snow removal, which frankly, should involve your 7th or 8th grader! Growing up, my sisters and I, along with my dad, were responsible for shoveling a pretty long driveway. Though it was always the heaviest part of the driveway, I always took on clearing the area in front of the mailbox. Being precise and digging out a clean edge along the street always made me pretty proud and confident that the mailman would have easy access. I did become a letter carrier one summer during college, so maybe it was a bit of foreshadowing into that role. No one on our street had a snowblower back then and getting a plow was considered unnecessary. Physical labor was the name of the game in Lowell in the 80s and 90s! So as I start up my expensive snowblower on Saturday, I’ll think of my childhood days of shoveling… as I clear the snow completely by myself!
We have several community-type updates to share today, so please read along:
Mascot Re-Naming Survey Reminder
We are sending this reminder to the community about the current opportunity to submit a suggestion for a new mascot for our district. Thank you to the many individuals who have already offered one or more suggestions. Below is the original invitation sent to the community earlier in January. Please note that the deadline for suggestions is February 4, 2022. All entries should be submitted through the online survey - here is the address: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ABMascot
Vaccine Booster Opportunity at AB
At this time, we are planning one booster clinic at R.J. Grey Junior High School on Saturday, February 12th from 9:00-3:00 for 12-18 year olds. The Acton Health Department has ordered 300 initial vaccine doses, and sign up is first-come, first served. If there is an overwhelming response from our families, we may be able to add additional slots. Please check your email for additional information from last week, and the link to sign up!
Knowing we have limited vaccine availability, we encourage you to visit the MassVax site at https://vaxfinder.mass.gov/, where you can filter vaccines by the Pfizer booster and find available appointments.
ABSAF Recruitment
The purpose of ABSAF (Acton-Boxborough Student Activity Fund) is to raise money each year through ABSAF pass sales, donations, and fundraising events, which will, in turn, be gifted to the Jr. High and High School to subsidize student activities like music, drama, athletics, and other club activities. ABSAF is currently recruiting interested 8th graders to be part of this group. This message and more information will be sent to 8th grade students soon, but I thought it would be valuable to share with our parent community. ABSAF has always been generous to us and any support you give to this organization benefits all of us.
Here are some upcoming dates to be aware of:
-Friday, Jan 28: Hawaiian Shirt Day
-Monday, Jan 31: SOS Lesson for 7 Green
-Wednesday, Feb 2: SOS Lesson for 7 Blue
-Monday, Feb 7: RJG School Council, 7pm
-Thursday, Feb 10: NAEP assessment for selected 8th graders
Take care, and lift with your knees, not your back as you shovel this weekend!
Jim Marcotte