A Note from Principal Tony Byers
It’s June! When did that happen? As of the publication of our newsletter, there are only 16 school days before summer break. For fifth graders who started at Graham and Parks in Junior Kindergarten, today marks their 1,244th school day, give or take a few sick days and other unscheduled absences. That’s a lot of school days, probably the most they’ll spend as a student in any single educational institution. And during this time, they’ve grown from timid kindergartners to bold and opinionated early adolescents. Hear more >>



Main Office Announcements 
A HUGE thank you to Jodi Rich for filling in for Mrs. D while she was out. Jodi had some huge shoes to fill and fill them she did! Jodi worked some incredibly long days while Mrs. D was out and did an amazing job keeping the Main Office running. I know I speak for the whole staff and family community when I say that we're so grateful for her work these past weeks. Thanks, Jodi! 

As you may have seen, Mrs. D is back! We are all so excited to have her back. The students can’t stop coming in and giving her hugs. If you haven’t yet, please stop by the Main Office to say hello and welcome back. 

Lauren Morse, Family Liaison, will be out for 3 weeks after ankle surgery, starting May 24th. She will return the last week of school. If you need assistance during her absence, please contact Mildrid Gedeon or Jodie Darnell at 617.349.6577. 

Students Have Rights, Too! 
By Kathy Greeley, ELA Coach
This has been a very interesting year for the Constitution! If you don’t understand how our government works with its different branches and the system of checks and balances, you could ask a G&P 5th grader to explain it to you. Furthermore, they could explain in depth the Bill of Rights, which outlines the personal freedoms guaranteed to all Americans. And in particular, they could explain the history of student rights.

In 1964, MaryBeth Tinker and her brother wore black armbands to school in Des Moines, Iowa to protest the Vietnam War. They were suspended from school for "disruption," but they pressed their right for freedom of speech all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a landmark decision in 1969, Justice Abe Fortas declared that, "It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech at the schoolhouse gate."

Our G&P students studied the Tinker case, along with some other key Supreme Court decisions affecting students’ rights in school. They were able to Skype with Ms. Tinker and get a firsthand account of that history. They also researched the cases, using primary and secondary sources.

To share their knowledge with other students, the 5th graders are drawing comic books to inform others about these critical cases and the importance of fighting for their rights. They learned about the craft of cartooning from Bob Flynn, a professional cartoonist known for his SpongeBob comics.

This year, the 5th grade classes were invited to the Joseph Moakley Courthouse in Boston to exhibit their student rights comic books by a group called Children Discovering Justice. On May 5, students presented their student rights comic books about these landmark cases to their families, lawyers, and other justice professionals from around the city. It was a wonderful experience for all!

Staff Spotlight: Phil Rizutto & Sylvia Kinn
Get to know Phil and Sylvia with this handy Q&A! Read on >> 

Music Notes 
On May 26, Kindergarten students wowed families with an amazing array of songs in English, Japanese, and Spanish. Students sang everything from a romping ABC Blues to a beautiful traditional Japanese song about Spring. The finale was "I Live in a City," a great song that Kindergarteners will remember for a long time to come! Debbie would like to thank the Nora Grodzins and Iis Drummond for their amazing help with Arts events over the last five years! They will be sorely missed. Also, thanks to student teacher Laura Edwards for helping with the concert!

On April 7, all fourth grade students attended a concert at Symphony Hall. This was made possible by a generous grant from Friends of Graham and Parks. The field trip was a huge success and we look forward to continuing this tradition in future years. Thanks, Friends!

On March 31, the Grade 1/2 concert took place in the auditorium. Grade 1 students performed a series of multicultural songs about birds and second graders sang rounds and several challenging choral arrangements including a beautiful Japanese song about Spring which was accompanied by fifth grader Gita Drummond.

On March 11, four G+P students performed with the MMEA All-State Treble Chorus: Emilia Ferriera, Nathaniel Greenleaf, Mira Patel, and Gen Whitelaw. This amazing concert took place at the Sheraton Boston.Congratulations to these students on being selected for All-State! See photo above. 

Upcoming Music Event 
The 5th grade music concert will be on Tuesday, June 6th at The Fitzgerald Theatre, at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Students will be performing with the following schools: Morse, Haggerty, Graham and Parks, and Amigos. Rehearsal for the students will be from 6:00-6:30PM (students are asked to arrive about 10-15 minutes early for set up, parents will be asked to wait outside). The performance will be at 6:30PM and should be over around 7PM. 

In and Around G&P Classrooms
Take a peek into some of our classrooms and hear what our students have been doing! Read more >>                               

Get Involved at G&P!
Just because it's June doesn't mean there aren't ways to get involved. Read on to find out how you can volunteer in our CitySprouts garden – and hear a recap on the amazing support we've received from Friends of G&P. Learn more >>
                                    
In Our District & Community
Find out about FREE summer camps/workshops, Hoops 'n Health, and more! Read on >>  

Latest News on the CPS District Planning Process
Did you attend a Visioning Session or watch the Superintendent's presentation on developing a district plan for CPS? Members of the CPS community are invited to learn and contribute as the planning process continues.

• Learn about the Planning Team & Visioning Sessions
• The District Planning Team consists of 31 students, family members, staff members, community partners, school leaders, district leaders, and School Committee members, who are giving their time to design the CPS district plan. Why would such a diverse group of people come together for such a purpose? Learn Why >>
• Save The Date: Town Hall on the District Plan
  Tuesday, June 13 | 6PM
  Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
  View the Flyer >>
• Next Steps
  The planning team will present a draft of the District Plan to the School Committee and the community in June. Following review, discussion, and deliberation, the School Committee will vote on the plan. 
  Read letter from Superintendent Salim >>