A Note from Principal Tony Byers
If there’s one lesson I’ve learned as an educator, and especially as a principal, it’s that beginnings matter. The start of a new school year is a powerful marker of change and sometimes reinvention. There’s a short window of time at the beginning of the school year when children and adults are open to change and when old habits can be put aside for new ones. This is why teachers begin the year slowly, with a focus on carefully teaching and reinforcing new routines and expectations for behavior.
Hear more >>

G&P Market – Free Food for Everyone! 
Please join us for our first G&P Market of the year on Thursday, October 11th from 2-4PM in the Main Lobby. The G&P Market is open to ALL families and is a great way to get free, fresh vegetables and fruit, as well as important staples like pasta, cereal, rice and beans, and more! Thanks to the support of Food for Free and the Mayor’s office, we are thrilled to have the G&P Market again this year. If you’d like to participate, please bring a shopping bag with you! If you’d like to help before or during the Market, please email Lauren at [email protected].

Free Clothes from Cradles to Crayons 
Need new and like-new clothes? Thanks to the partnership between Food for Free and Cradles to Crayons, G&P families will also be able to request free new and used clothes and school supplies from Cradles to Crayons! Cradles to Crayons provides “KidPacks” with everyday essentials--such as clothing, shoes, jackets, hats and gloves, and more-- for children in need from birth through age 12. Each KidPack is uniquely ordered for an individual child to match their sizes and needs. Families are also able to request KidPacks for siblings who do not attend G&P. If you would like to request new and used clothes for your child, please contact Lauren or Mildrid. Forms are also available in the Main Office or by requesting one from your child's teacher. Many thanks to Cradles to Crayons for bringing this incredible resource to our school!

Friends of G&P 
Our first Friends of G&P Fundraiser of the year is coming up on October 18th! Please go to friendsofgandp.org for more info. The Friends of Graham and Parks seeks to provide academic enrichment opportunities for every student and engage all of our families through fundraising and community building events. We'd love to see you at our monthly meetings! – Friends of G&P holds meetings monthly on the 1st Friday of each month at 8:30AM in the G&P lobby. We’d love to hear your ideas for how to help our children learn and grow! October's meeting is on Friday, Oct. 5th. Come for part or come for the whole meeting - we appreciate any time and help you can give us.


G&P Kids News Flash 
Breaking news!! Read the monthly G&P Kids News Flash >>

Family Cultural Exchange Program (FCEP) 
FCEP is an opportunity for G&P families to get to know each other better through monthly gatherings at a local coffee shop and a weekend family picnic in the Fall and Spring.

G&P Parents and Caregivers: Join Us for Our Monthly Friday Coffee! Meet new Graham & Parks families! One Friday a month we will meet in the front lobby of G&P at 8:30AM and walk together to Bourbon Coffee. All are welcome, and we especially hope that new families and international families will join us. Bourbon Coffee is at 1815 Mass Ave. It’s a short walk, and you can meet us there at 8:45AM if you prefer.

Friday Coffee Dates: October 12, November 9, December 14, January 11, February 8, March 8, April 12, May 10, June 14.                                     
For more information contact Lauren Morse, Family Liaison, or G&P parents: Sarah Smith at [email protected] or Eva Ferreras at [email protected]. 


Garden Update 
Hi Graham & Parks families! I am looking forward to seeing you all in the garden soon. Please stop by to sniff, touch, and explore what is growing. I will be in the garden on Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons. I am excited about integrating social studies and STEM subjects in garden-based lessons, and always look forward to the first tomatoes of the season. This year you can expect frequent updates from the garden with tips, ways to explore, and recipes.
Thanks, Karl Koch, Garden Educator, Citysprouts

Cider Pressing in the G&P Courtyard - Nov. 5, 7 & 8
During CitySprouts' Annual Cider Pressing we introduce children and teachers to the school garden by setting up an apple press and teaching kids how to make cider. We would love parent/guardian volunteers to help set up, do a little crowd control, and clean up afterwards. Come enjoy fresh cider and see how much the kids love being outside in the garden. We will press cider at Graham & Parks on November 5, 7, 8. If interested, contact Andrea Locke at [email protected] or G&P parent garden coordinator Kris Dickson at [email protected].

Garden Helpers Wanted!
Karl Koch (City Sprouts) and Kris Dickson (G&P Parent) invite you to join us in the Graham & Parks gardens. We have many wonderful garden spaces both in the courtyard and in the planting beds on either side of the school - and these gardens need lots of helping hands to flourish! There are opportunities for ALL families as the gardens are accessible both during and outside of school hours, including evenings and weekends. Help our gardens grow and our children learn! Contact G&P parent garden coordinator Kris Dickson at [email protected] if you are interested volunteering in the G&P gardens.
 

Please Join Us in Welcoming New Staff!  



Mindfulness at Graham and Parks 
By Natalia Cepeda, CPS Mindfulness Educator

We had a great discussion about Mindfulness at the Coffee Talk on Friday, September 28th. Many parents and guardians attended the talk about how Mindfulness can be used to reduce stress and anxiety. We also talked about how to develop Mindfulness skills in our children. If you missed the Coffee Talk but would like to see the Slideshow, go to http://bit.ly/MindfulnessCoffeeTalk.

To be mindful is to bring awareness to the present moment with curiosity and without judgment. Research on mindfulness and adults over the last 30 years has been showing positive benefits. Research on mindfulness and youth is more recent. Studies have shown that mindfulness education with youth can increase attention and emotional regulation, improve social skills and decrease stress and anxiety.

At CPS, Mindfulness has been growing with teachers’ increasing interest and the district support through grassroots efforts. At Graham and Parks, Natalia Cepeda, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindful Schools teacher, has been teaching the Mindful Schools curriculum in several classrooms. The 8 week Mindful Schools curriculum is also being taught throughout CPS including King Open, Morse, Cambridgeport, Fletcher Maynard, Haggerty, King, Baldwin, Amigos, and Tobin as well as more recently at CRLS and the Extension School. The program, which consists of frequent short lessons in the classroom, allows students to learn and practice mindfulness skills and to share how the skills help them at school and at home. After the program, teachers are offered support to continue practicing mindfulness with their students on an ongoing basis.

“I learned that with some patience and a few breaths you can identify what you are feeling and control that feeling.”
–CPS 5th Grader

Physical Education (PE) Update 
By Susan Harris and Madelyn Regan, Physical Education Teachers

During the school year, our students will participate in many different types of activities in Physical Education class. Students will learn a variety of skills to enable them to pursue exercise outside of school which will increase their fitness level and help maintain a healthy body and mind. Students will learn about healthy eating habits and why exercise stimulates the brain to help them learn.

Physical Education Expectations
Be safe
Aim high
Respect
Be an engaged learner
Have fun

Please remember to send your student to school with sneakers on days when they have PE. Below is a list of the lessons that each grade level will be participating in during the school year.

Grades K-2
Establishing a Positive Learning Environment; Cooperative Learning; Locomotor and Literacy; Science of the Body and Nutrition; Movement Concepts and Math; Non-Manipulative Skills and Literacy; Manipulative Skills and Math; Chasing, Fleeing, and Dodging; Multi-cultural Movement

Grades 3-5
Cooperative Learning; Manipulative Skills and Literacy; Creative and Rhythmic Movement/Jump Rope; Science of the Body and Nutrition; Fitness Assessment; Movement Concepts and Math; Multi-cultural Movement; 3rd –Outdoor Adventure; 4th – Swimming, ?Cycle Kids; 5th – Recreation Games, Ballroom

See field schedule >>

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month 
Did you know that October is Dyslexia Awareness Month? Learn more >>

Nurse's Corner 
By Nurse Rollins

Students who are not immunized may not come to school. Immunization exclusions will be enforced by October 15. All students must be fully immunized according to the Massachusetts guidelines and state law. If you need assistance finding local healthcare, please contact Nurse Rollins at [email protected]

Families with students in Grades 1 and 4 and all new enrollees must submit a copy of a complete physical within the past year by October 15.

Cold and Flu season is upon us. To help families know when to keep children home from school please keep the following list in mind:
–Nausea or vomiting during the night; Diarrhea (2 or more loose stools)
–Frequent cough not associated with allergies
–Temperature above 100 degrees F or 37.7 C. Your child may not return to school until their temperature is normal for 24 hours without taking Tylenol or Advil.
–Sore throat accompanied by headache, stomach ache, rash or fever
–Strep throat diagnosis. Keep home until on antibiotics for 24 hours and fever free.
–Red, itchy eyes with pus-like drainage
–Conjunctivitis diagnosis. Keep home until on antibiotics for 24 hours
–Persistent pain (ear, stomach, head, etc.)

Art Corner 
By Liana Trail, Art Teacher

The artists of G&P are off to a great start! All art students are practicing mindfulness and beginning their first projects. The Kindergarteners are learning to identify and create a variety of lines and shapes using crayons. First grade artists are designing their own castles with surface texture. Second graders are learning to use oil pastels to make an imaginative solar system drawing. The artists from third grade are learning about the long history of mosaic art and creating their own geometric designs. Fourth grade classes are learning typography styles and arranging word portraits to show their role models. Finally, fifth grade artists are making 3D masks that represent their own personal style and interests.

Library Corner 
By Ann Niederkorn, G&P Librarian

Things are already hopping in the library! We've been reading some great new books, learning library routines, and 4th and 5th graders have been getting familiar with the laptops. A lucky group of older students recently had an engaging author visit with Ginger Johnson to hear about her new fantasy book: The Splintered Light. Each student also received their own copy of the book, courtesy of the very generous Porter Square Books Foundation. (Another great reason to support your local, independent bookstore!) 4th and 5th graders are waiting eagerly for the launch of the MCBA (MA Children's Book Award) program, which will happen during October.

One last reminder: Families are welcome to visit the library every day before school (8:00-8:15) and after school (2:25-2:45) to borrow books. We can make library accounts for parents. Come on in and say hi!


Seen Around G&P 
Students in Room 110 working on questions they are curious about for their Wall of Curiosity.

In Our District & Community 
Mayor's Office Partners with Cradles to Crayons
The Mayor’s Office, in partnership with Cradles to Crayons, is hosting a city-wide donation drive. Cradles to Crayons serves kids birth through age 12 living in homeless or low income situations by providing essential items; last year, this included over 2,000 kids in the Cambridge community. You can help! Please consider donating new or gently used clothing, shoes and books. Starting October 1st through October 18th there will be multiple locations for you to donate items. Please contact Mayor’s Office at 617.349.4321 or check out Find It Cambridge to learn more.

Mayor's Town Hall: Supporting Cambridge Youth
Thursday, October 11 | 6PM | City Hall, 795 Mass Ave
What supports do Cambridge young people need in our city? What supports and services already exist? Come hear from city officials, young people, youth workers, and the Cambridge LGBTQ+ Commission and add your voice on this important topic. Brief presentations will be followed by discussion groups. Refreshments will be provided. Learn more >>

Immigration Legal Screening Clinics
3rd Wednesday each month, 5:15-7:15PM
Free consultations with an immigration attorney for Massachusetts immigrants and their families
Community Legal Services & Counseling Center (CLSACC)
90 Third St., Cambridge
617.349.4396; [email protected] 
See flyer >>

Rep. Katherine Clark – Cambridge Office Hours
Hosted by Rep. Clark's Immigration Issues Liaison Katie Worley
3rd Thursday each month, 3-4PM  
Cambridge City Hall, 795 Mass Ave. (Mayor's Office, 2nd fl)
Staff will be on site to answer questions about immigration benefits, USCIS cases, Passports, and more. If you have questions or need assistance outside of scheduled hours, please do not hesitate to contact our district office: 
701 Concord Ave., Suite 101, Cambridge, MA 02138 
617.354.0292, katherineclark.house.gov.

Teal Pumpkin Project
The Teal Pumpkin Project encourages people to raise awareness of food allergies and promotes inclusion of all trick-or-treaters throughout the Halloween season. The nationwide movement offers an alternative for kids with food allergies, as well as other children for whom candy is not an option. The steps to participate are:
–Provide non-food treats for trick-or-treaters.
–Place a teal pumpkin - the color of food allergy awareness - in front of your home to indicate you have non-food treats available.
–Add your home to the Teal Pumpkin Project map.
–Spread the word! Share the Teal Pumpkin Project with your friends and family.

Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) 
FREE every Thursday from 5-9PM
100 Northern Ave, Boston
www.icaboston.org

Tutoring Plus 
A FREE tutoring program held at the Fletcher Maynard Academy 
www.tutoringplus.org

STEAM it Up!
October 25 | 6 - 8PM
Rindge Avenue Upper School, 70 Rindge Ave.
Have you ever wanted to hack electronics? Maybe you'd like to create and launch a zip line car? If this sounds like fun and you'd like to spend some great family time having pizza and learning together then come to STEAM IT Up. View event details >>