MB Messenger - 12/2/22
In this Issue:
Calendars
WPS, PTA, Town of Wilton Calendars: https://www.middlebrookpta.org/calendar-of-pta-events
Please note upcoming events such as
Science Fair Registration by 11/28
Book Fair 11/30-12/7
Schoology: Did you know you can sync your calendar and view the six day rotation on Schoology? More information here: https://www.middlebrookpta.org/info-powerschool-procedures-more
PTA Meetings: https://www.middlebrookpta.org/meeting-info
Upcoming Events
Science and Engineering Fair - Registration Open
You are officially invited to take part in the 2022 Middlebrook Science & Engineering Fair, sponsored by the Wilton Education Foundation and Middlebrook PTA. This is an exciting event that encourages students to think like young scientists and engineers. Participants will have the opportunity to design a science or engineering project of their choosing. Registration DEADLINE is Monday, November 28th, 2022. Students fill out the online Registration & Approval Form here
The date of the Science & Engineering Fair is Tuesday, January 24th, 2023.
(Snow Date: Thursday, January 26th, 2023)
Middlebrook Book Fair
Main Street Books never fails to supply a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction titles. This is a wonderful opportunity to support our LLC. The Book Fair is Wednesday, November 30-Monday, December 7th
We need volunteers to help run the fair each day. Volunteer sign up HERE
8th Grade Event
We are rescheduling the Pancake Breakfast event for something a little different. More information on coming soon!
PTA Reflections
This year's theme is Show Your Voice! More information coming soon!
PTA News
Thank you for all you do to support each other, our community, our teachers and administrators, our schools, and our children.
"To give thanks is to live it." This Thanksgiving Poem from Amanda Gorman is a good read or to listen to in this season of giving. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/national-youth-poet-laureate-amanda-gorman-performs-her-thanksgiving-poem/ . We are grateful for everyone in our MB community. Please consider the ways you can spread thanks and kindness in our MB community, town, nation, and our world. #TogetherWeCan #Gratitude
Annual Appeal
Our Annual Appeal is an important way we fund our programs. If each family donates at least $40 per child to the 2022 Middlebrook Annual Appeal. Your donation will allow us to cover the cost of upcoming 2022-2023 programs that will directly benefit each child at Middlebrook.
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Gifts and Grants total grants funded during 2021-22 were over $30,000, of which annual enrichment programs are more than $12,000. We see requests for new and innovative programs every year. We need your support to keep bringing enriching educational experiences, community building events, and support to our students and staff. Here are samples of the diverse ideas funded this year: a redesign of the school counseling office, supporting composting initiatives, sponsoring a WYC social media speaker, 7th grade reading supplies, mobile production equipment, technology equipment for the LLC, wireless microphones, Visiting Author, Geography Bee, Birds of Prey presentation, Shakespearience presentation, World Language Assembly, Separate But Equal presentations, flexible seating, outdoor equipment storage, and the Middlebrook Farm School program.
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This year, every donation of $100 or more through December 31st will be entered into a raffle for a Wilton Wearable Fleece Blanket (choose Navy or Light Blue). The first 100 donations of any amount will be matched by $1 ($100 total). We are working on some more celebrations and encourage as many as possible to help where they can. Sponsorships and corporate matching donations can help, too. We thank you and need your help supporting our many programs across our Middlebrook community.
PTA Membership is Open
Thank you to all who have joined the PTA as a member this year. Membership is open for all of the Wilton PTAs. We invite you to join and learn more about the many ways to support the PTA and our Middlebrook community.
Please find more information about the PTA and how to join here:
Volunteers
Thanks you to our many volunteers! We could not do what we do without you and this is a wonderful way to support MB, learn more about MB by participating in activities, and meet or work with others. If you are interested in volunteering for upcoming events and/or for the PTA next year we need you! All are welcome. Please fill out the form on this page https://www.middlebrookpta.org/board-committees or email michelle.mbpta@gmail.com.
Welcome to our Executive Board team, Manisha Patel, as co-Treasurer. She will take over in the coming months from Amy Gettler who has been a wonderful Treasurer to Middlebrook and will be moving on as her 8th Grader Soars ahead this year.
Volunteers for events where they may assist when Wilton Public Schools staff members are NOT present at some point are asked to please register for a background check through WPS. It can take a couple of weeks and volunteers are asked to please register as soon as possible with WPS. The information for this process is here: https://wiltonps.org/351504_2 .
AREAS OF NEED FOR UPCOMING EVENTS
Executive Committee - Immediate (VP/Membership Chair)
We are looking for Executive Committee members for this year and into next year. If you are excited to learn more about MB, get involved in the school, and are ready to bring your ideas and efforts to help our wonderful MB community, we want to hear from you! We are looking for someone excited about membership to join our Executive Committee. Please fill out the form at: https://www.middlebrookpta.org/board-committees .
Hospitality & Other Areas
If you are interested in any other areas such as Hospitality or Fundraising, we would like to add to these teams for upcoming events and programs.
Spirit Wear
Please see our collection of current spirit wear for holiday giving and staying warm and cozy as cold weather arrives.
7th Grade Activity Night
Glow Much Fun! Thanks to everyone who participated and helped with this event. It was a great success. Please see more HERE for a recap of the evening.
Veteran's Day
Stephen Hudspeth contributed an article to Good Morning Wilton (LINK) about this wonderful celebration at Middlebrook. The PTA sponsored a lunch reception for the veterans and families as a part of this special day. Thank you to Chartwells for catering! Thank you to everyone who planned and participated in this event.
From our Student Community
Diwali
Diwali was earlier in November. Thank you to Anaya, recently elected to Student Government in the 6th Grade, for submitting this article and presentation to share with our Middlebrook community about this celebration.
Video Link: Ramayana : Story of Diwali | Mythological Stories from Mocomi Kids
Video Link: Diwali - Festival of Lights | National Geographic
Team Wilton Lego Warriors qualify for state championship
Thank you to Anu Nayak for sharing news about Team Wilton Lego Warriors.
On November 19th, a team of 5th and 6th graders from Wilton made it through to the state finals in this year's First Lego League tournament at Wolcott High School. The Wilton Lego Warriors had to build and code a Lego robot to complete a number of challenges that matched this year's competition theme: Super Charged. This involved moving clean energy generated from wind farms and solar arrays around town, with the help of attachments to the Lego robot the team built and coded from scratch. They also had to design a solution to the problem of moving and storing clean energy in a new power grid for Wilton and present it to judges from Sikorsky and other Connecticut industries. Head coach Arun Prabhu helped guide the team through challenges with design and construction of the robot, and brought in expert advice from members of Wilton's STEAM community. Over 20 teams competed, and the Wilton Lego Warriors were one of 10 teams to move on to the state finals on December 10th in Glastonbury.
Team members:
Owen Wang (5th Grader)
Isaac Boucher (5th Grader)
Vidit Prabhu (6th Grader)
Harrison Pham (6th Grader)
Kabir Rokkam ( 6th Grader)
"The Journey of Magic", Freya Pandey
Freya Pandey, who is currently in 6th Grade, was recently featured in GMW for writing and publishing her first fairytale book on amazon. "The Journey of Magic" https://amzn.to/3ipLC6a. News: https://lnkd.in/eDbCCSw4
I hope her story touches your life and gives you hope on how small positive initiatives, even in tough times, can lead to something meaningful. Freya has decided to donate all profits from the sale of her book to Voices of Children, which is a Ukraine-based aid organization that provides psychological support to children who have witnessed war.
School News
WPS Website and App
Please review the new website and mobile application and WPS/MB guides. The Parent Resources page and the new app have been helpful this year for finding all of the apps we use, menus, handbooks, questions on communication platforms like School Messenger. Please enjoy these links to explore.
Presentation on the Math Curriculum at a recent BOE Meeting:
Community Conversation: 2023-2024 Superintendent's Proposed Budget
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15 6:00 - 7:00 PM WHS LIBRARY LEARNING COMMONS Superintendent Kevin J. Smith would like to invite all interested members of the Wilton community to participate in a community conversation about the education budget. Members of the community will have the opportunity to meet in small groups with Board of Education members and WPS administrators to share their thoughts, questions, suggestions about current budget priorities, and recommendations for moving forward. The evening will be an opportunity for Wilton residents to become engaged at the very beginning of the budget process.
Parent Tech Night Thursday, Dec 8th with WPS.
The session will provide information about trends in the use of social media by students, risky apps, home contract ideas and tips. In addition to providing the schools with a filtering service for districts, Bark also provides an app for families as parental controls. The sessions are designed as informational on the state of social media and online activities of our youth while also providing an introduction to the Bark for Families app.
December 8th – 7-8 pm ZOOM LINK: https://wiltonps.zoom.us/j/97694664056
Complete the short survey provided by Bark for a 6-month free subscription to Bark for Families. Here is the a link to the survey: https://barktechnologies.typeform.com/wps22
There will be a follow-up Webinar for any parent who opts to purchase the Bark for Families app (at a discount) on December 14th.
Contact Middlebrook and Quick Links
131 School Road, Wilton, CT 06897
(203) 762-8388 District Calendar​​
Report an Absence: 203-834-4963, mbattend@wiltonps.org
Chartwells: 203-834-4990 x5221
Bus Transportation: 203.762.3381 x8295
Wilton Board of Education
Meetings, Agendas, Recordings​​
Community News
Holiday Stroll 2022
The annual Wilton Chamber of Commerce’s Holiday Stroll will be on Friday Dec. 2nd! Together with the Town of Wilton, Wilton Fire Department, Wilton Volunteers Ambulance Corps., Wilton Kiwanis Club and several retailers and businesses in the Town Center, all are invited to join the festivities beginning at 5:00 pm.
Trackside Winter Programs
Trackside offers a variety of special events and after school programs. After school programs are led by high school students & are open to middle school students and up. Programs run in 4 sessions: Fall, Winter, Spring & Summer. Each session is typically 8-10 weeks long. Sessions meet once a week, after school from 3:30-5:15p. Students can walk or take bus 7 from Middlebrook.
Turnover Shop
Founded over 75 years ago by a group of volunteers dedicated to serving the needs of the community, The Turnover has kept that tradition of service and generosity alive as we have evolved to serve each generation. Our merchandise is reflective of every life style and current fashion, and our current team of over 130 volunteers remain committed to the prospect of always being creative and innovative. Thousands of satisfied customers continue to validate their hard work. We carry a full line of women’s, men’s and children’s clothing, shoes, antiques, housewares, games, books, jewelry, and small furnishings.
Feel free to stop by the shop or email Turnoverfrontdesk@gmail.com for more information.
Wilton Youth Council in partnership with Wilton Library
Decoding Behavior: What Our Children Are Telling Us & How To Help
Wednesday, December 07, 2022 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
This free event is for parents of PK-12th graders. All adults and interested parties are welcome to attend.
The PTA's mission is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.
