CSA Updates: June 14th

CSA Weekly Newsletter June 14, 2021

What’s Happening on the Hill

Tuesday, June 15th

Please Vote for Pine Hill Access Road Improvements Project. This project received overwhelming support at Town Meeting in May but approval is still needed at Town Elections this Tuesday, June 15th at DPW (7 Butler Street).

Wednesday, June 16th

1/2 day of school

Friday, June 18th

Last Day of School

1/2 day

Thank you for your support of the CSA this year!

We accomplished a lot this year and couldn't have done it without the hard work of the 2020- 2021 Board and Committee Chairs or YOUR support. We thank you for your contributions, time, and commitment to our organization, our teachers, and most importantly, our students! Although our school year looked different, we accomplished a lot!

Looking back, we were able to hold a Virtual 5K, Holiday Gift Drive, Successful Winter Fundraiser, Snowman Contest, Virtual Book Fair, Raffle Basket Fundraiser, Zoom Cocktail Class and amazing teacher appreciation events. Our grade-level special events and enrichment programs were also unmatched!

Thank you to our outgoing Board Members and Committee Chairs who have volunteered countless hours of their time over the year: Crista Mahoney (Secretary), Molly Cullum and Hannah Ireland (Events and Fundraising), Katie Garvey (Volunteer), Kaitlin Dunham and Lynn Frigiani (Enrichment), Elizabeth Speyer and Aimee Cronin (Communications), Nikki Miller and Rory McGrath (New Families), Ranjini Dowley (Family Friend), Meg Siegal (Broadmoor Coordinator), Kristen Susco (Garden Coordinator), and Peter Rovick (Box-Tops and Amazon Smiles).

We also thank the Board Members and Committee Chairs staying in their role for another year and they include Chinar Dara (Treasurer), Irene Saranteas Bassalee (Family Friend), Liza Cavaliero (Library Coordinator), Kristen Aberle and Karen Silver (Pine Hill 5K), Molly Cullum (Directory and Raffle Baskets), Katie Garvey (Raffle Baskets), and Julie Vitale (Garden Coordinator).

We have really enjoyed working together as Co-Presidents and are grateful for everyone’s support this year. We want to give a warm welcome to Monika Acharya and Peter Rovick (2021-2022 Co-Presidents). Have a great summer and we will see you back on “The Hill” in the fall!

Warm Regards,

Tara Hourihan and Royale Abrams

The CSA would also like to say a special thank you to our outgoing CSA Co-Presidents Tara Hourihan and Royal Abrams who have volunteered countless hours of their time over the past few years. We are so grateful for all of your support, guidance, and creativity with fundraising, organizing virtual events, and advocating for our students and teachers at Pine Hill during this most unusual year. Thank you Tara and Royale!!

CSA Board of Directors Elections

The Pine Hill CSA is holding its annual election to fill open positions for the 2021-22 school year. Please take a moment to review the positions and candidates outlined in the ballot (link below). If you would like to nominate someone not already listed, please indicate the individual's name in the designated write-in area.

Please complete this ballot for open board positions by Friday, June 18, 2021. If you are interested in becoming a more active participant at Pine Hill but don't know how to go about getting involved, please reach out to any member of the CSA for additional upcoming volunteer opportunities! Visit the CSA website for more information about the CSA as well as the Board of Director positions.

Popsicle Party

In place of the typical end-of-year picnic, the CSA is donating popsicles for each classroom! Classroom teachers will be choosing the day and time to have them with their students this week.

Come See Our New Bird Sanctuary!

You might notice something new near the back playground behind the school. Two large Japanese-inspired arches peak your interest at a distance, and as you get closer you notice the beautiful native perennials and shrubs gathered in fully recycled rubber planters. Look further and you’ll see bird feeders and a bird bath with a solar fountain. This is PH’s new bird sanctuary! Thanks to funding from the CSA and a generous grant from the Grinspoon Foundation, in partnership with Sherborn’s Sustainability Coordinator, Dorothea VonHerder, third grade students in Ms. Sidman’s class planted native shrubs and perennials to bring more birds to their classroom window.

The Bird Sanctuary is a space for students and teachers to observe birds, while taking a moment for quiet pause and reflection. The new garden is entirely composed of bird-friendly native plants. Our native plants provide berries, seeds and nectar, as well as cover and perching surfaces for birds throughout the year. We hope to attract a number of birds including hummingbirds, cardinals, sparrows, blue jays, wrens, titmice, nuthatches, chickadees, and woodpeckers. Who knows! Lucky students may even see less common birds as they travel through, making a pit stop at our sanctuary. We also hope to find birds nesting in the new window-side nesting box next spring.

The Bird Sanctuary is dedicated to Ms. Lucey, who will retire in November. Ms. Lucey, PH teacher of 31 years, developed deep connections with her students, inspired a sense of learning as adventure, and instilled a loving appreciation for nature in all forms, especially for birds. Thank you Ms. Lucey, for inspiring generations of PH students!

We are a Certified Schoolyard Habitat!

Thanks to the efforts of third grade students, the National Wildlife Federation is pleased to recognize that Pine Hill School in Sherborn, MA has successfully created a Certified Schoolyard Habitat® through its Garden for Wildlife program. Pine Hill has joined with over 5,000 schools nationwide that have transformed their schoolyards into thriving wildlife habitats that provide essential elements needed by all wildlife –natural food sources, clean water, cover and places to raise young.

The Michael Lisnow Bird Garden and Bird Sanctuary also serve as an outdoor education site where students can engage in learning in a hands-on way. Certification also makes our Certified Wildlife Habitat® part of the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge, a national effort to restore critical habitat for pollinators.

Check Out Our Third Grade Students!

Want to learn more about how third grade students are leading the community to mitigate climate change at PH? Check out this video made by DS Senior Patrice Davis, featuring PH 3rd graders in action.

WATCH VIDEO

Calling All Girl Scouts!

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place! Although many of our Sherborn troops paused their meetings this year with Covid, most will be restarting in the fall.

If you’re interested in joining an established troop or starting a new Girl Scout troop for the 2021-2022 school year, please reach out to Crista Mahoney at crista.mahoney@gmail.com for more information.

Pine Hill Spirt Store

Want to plan ahead for next year? From custom-designed Pine Hill Promise shirts for every grade to fun Pine Hill gear for kids and adults, we have what you need to show your school spirit (including shorts!).

And the best part is, while you are outfitting your family, you are also supporting the Pine Hill CSA! A portion of every sale goes to the CSA so we can continue providing all the awesome programs for our students next year.

PINE HILL SPIRIT STORE

Still got more questions about the school year and updates?

DS has created an website dedicated to details and updates on the town's online learning - #WeareDS Online is a good resource for lingering queries.