Pierce School "Lingo"

This information is intended to help new members of the Pierce Community become acquainted with Pierce. Listed are some major events, groups and other interesting jargon to help clarify the mind.

Afterschool U

After Hours U at Pierce School is an after school enrichment program that combines homework completion time and enrichment programs involving design/engineering, writing, mathematics, art, physical fitness, etc. The program also includes field trips and regular visits to a college campus where the students are able to see first hand what the college experience consists of. After Hours U is tentatively schedules to begin the first week of October and will take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 2:10PM to 4:45PM. This program is for 5th and 6th grade students.

Auction

Our school’s biggest fundraiser which takes place in February. This event has run as either a daytime family event and as an adult only evening—always ensures a good time and raises over $25,000 that goes directly to enhancing life at Pierce School.

B-CASA

(Brookline Coalition Against Substance Abuse) This website can be a useful tool for those who are interested in learning more about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, how they are used, and most importantly, how to get help and prevent use in the future.

BEEP

Brookline Early Education Program. A quickly expanding program offered to more than 200 pre-schoolers at 16 locations in Brookline (including Pierce School starting in 2006).

Bingo for Books

First to third graders learn the fine art of Alphabet Bingo run by our wonderful Pierce Teachers. All children receive a free book.

Book Fair

Held in our auditorium during late spring. This small fundraiser is big on reading! It offers both New and Used books, author visits, teacher storytelling and Summer Reading books.

Boxtops for Education

An ongoing school fundraiser whereby Pierce receives money from General Mills, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker; $600 raised last year. Please bring your box-tops to either of the collection boxes located in the Main office or near K-S.

Broadsheet

Appearing every week in your child's Thursday Folder, a hard copy of all the news that's hip to print about Pierce.

BROFFA

Brookline Families with Food Allergies

Bridge

The glass and yellow beamed bridge on the second floor of the New Building which connects to Pierce Park (it crosses over School Street).

Building Task Force

a/k/a Clutter Busters, a team of energetic Pierce parents who help make Pierce habitable and help define and implement large scale building projects. A clean up crew of Clutter Busters assists staff after projects are completed.

CFACT

Challenge For All Children Today supports the mission of Brookline schools to "enable all children to reach their full potential." Members, a group of over 200 families representing all Brookline K-8 schools, are working to help realize this goal. They want all children to benefit from academic challenges suitable for their skill level. They hope to prevent the problems associated with teaching children what they already know.

Cleat Exchange

Exchange your old cleats for bigger and better ones in the spring.

Clutter Busters

See "Building Task Force".

Curriculum Connections

7^th> & 8^th> Grade newsletter, which comes out three times per year.

Directory

A hardcopy booklet of names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mails for Pierce Families which is distributed in the Fall. Please remember that this information is confidential.

Drama Board

Made up of faculty and the producers of the 2-6th grade & 7/8 plays. The Board decides policy and spending for both school plays; meets three times a year.

ECS

The Enrichment and Challenge Support Program (formerly the Gifted and Talented Program) is a K-8 system-wide program that supports classroom teachers in providing challenging curriculum and extension opportunities for students who show a capacity for high levels of academic, intellectual, and creative achievement.

Early Dismissal

The students are dismissed from school at 12:30 to allow time for conferences. These take place four days in the fall and four days in the Spring. PSED begins at 12:30 on these day (differs from Half Days).

Enrichment Classes

After-school classes offered for a fee through PSED. Subjects range from arts, crafts, language, sports & games. Fall, Winter and Spring sessions are available.

Farm School

In October, seventh graders experience living at this overnight trip to a working farm in Athol, Massachusetts.

FitFest

A family day at Pierce Park-- stretch your legs and have some fun, takes place in September.

Kindergarten Building

See "Old Building"

Half Day

A noon-time dismissal before holidays and vacations.

Gift Wrap

Our fall fundraiser where families sell Sally Foster gift-wrap. Pierce earned $6000 last year.

Gifted and Talented

The Gifted and Talented Program is a K-8 system-wide program that supports classroom teachers in providing challenging curriculum and extension opportunities for students who show a capacity for high levels of academic, intellectual, and creative achievement.

Kindergarten Playground

The small playground directly behind the Kindergarten building (faces the back of the public library). This is used for Kindergarten recess and occasionally for PSED.

Healthy Lunches

An initiative throughout the Brookline schools that was piloted last spring. This program offers kid-friendly, nutritious lunches, prepared on-site. In order for this to continue, more participation will be needed -- so please buy lunch at school! (See NAB)

Historical Building- See "Old Building".

International Potluck Dinner

Our culturally diverse families bring you the best in international taste! From matzo to marzipan, satay to sushi, our delicacies are served by our incredible teaching staff one night each year.

Old Building

(Also known as the Historical, Primary or Kindergarten Building). Houses 7/8 Graders, Kindergarten and PSED. If only the walls could talk, this building has been around...at least 150 years!

Lost & Found

Find all those lost mittens and other treasures on the second floor near the entrance to the main gym.

METCO

Metropolitan Council for Education Opportunity provides over 300 African, Asian and Latino children access to Brookline's nationally recognized school system. Pierce is a proud participant in this dynamic program.

METCO Partnership

A program between Pierce-Metco families and Pierce-Brookline families to facilitate greater participation in the life of the school and keep all families connected.

MCAS

Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Standard: Statewide testing of students at different grade levels in Math and English Language Arts proficiency.

Magazine Drive

A fundraiser which funds the 8th grade NYC trip.

Main Office

Located in the New Building. The office is just inside the Main Door on your right (steps from the Primary Building, steps from the parking garage bring you the Main Door).

Mailboxes

PTO Mailbox is located near Mary Gabriel's office (our k-3 Reading Specialist)which is around the corner from the main office; FACULTY mailboxes are located in the teachers room.

Math League

Begins in the fourth grade. In fifth & sixth grade, these students compete with other Brookline students in various math subjects.

Movie Night

An extravaganza of movies held one evening a year catering to every age. Usually held during winter doldrums, all the popcorn you can eat!

Nutritional Advisory Board(NAB)/Wellnes

Parents and staff work on this town-wide committee to monitor and improve nutrition in the school setting.

New Building

Not the Old Building! Houses the Main Office, grades 1-6, gymnasiums, cafeteria, auditorium, art, music, learning centers, with the library as its centerpiece; 2-6th grade classrooms open into the library.

Outreach Committee

A PTO body that is committed to fostering a spirit of inclusion for all members of our diverse population. Outreach is responsible for the Third Thursday Breakfast, Pierce Picnic, Movie Night, School Tours, Welcoming Families & Opening Day activities.

PTO

Parent Teacher Organization, the primary mission is to raise and distribute funds to enrich your child's experience at Pierce. Field Trips, prizes and awards, supplies, refreshments at events and more are all funded through the PTO. Any issue concerning life at Pierce can be brought to a PTO meeting for discussion. Meetings held the 2nd Wednesday of each month in the Teacher's Lounge or Library. Open to all—every Parent, Guardian, & Teacher at Pierce is considered part of the PTO. There is no charge for membership.

PSED

Pierce School Extended Day. This 2pm-6pm program is designed to ensure an enriching after school experience for your K-6th child. Cost depends on whether you sign up for two, three, four or five days per week. (The terrific PSED staff also runs the Enrichment Classes).

Pam's Lunch

Online cafeteria payment (student's use their PIN number to purchase their lunches).

Pajama Night

During the Book Fair, K-3rd graders are invited to the cafeteria for an evening of story telling by our Pierce Guest Readers. Sleeping bags and teddy bears are also invited.

Penguin

The mighty penguin is the mascot of Pierce School.

Pierce Cares

A group of volunteers created to help Pierce families during times of need due to illness & tragedy via meals, childcare, pet-care, etc.

Pierce Picnic

An annual great time for all with pizza, sundaes and a Deejay held in Pierce Park; usually the first week of June, sponsored by the Outreach Committee.

Pierce Park

Our park across from the school, accessible by the Bridge.

PiercePost

A technological marvel allowing you to keep connected to events and major news items at Pierce on-line. Apologies for the signup process, which take a few annoying minutes. To sign up today, enter your email address here to join PiercePost or send email to piercepost-subscribe@topica.com:

Pierce Plays

Pierce is proud of a long running commitment to the arts. Grade 2-6 musical is open to all with chorus courtesy of the 2nd & 3rd Graders. Open casting allows all 4-6th graders to participate as actors. 7-8 steps up with their production each year and rivals anything on Broadway!

PierceWear

Wear your Pierce Pride-- t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps or wristbands! The latest Pierce item is sold after-school on most Fridays.

Pit, The

A small, sunken carpeted amphitheatre on the second floor between the two wings of the New Building where children meet for early morning reading and math games. Guardians and caregivers can wait at end of day for their small charges.

Primary Building

See 'Old Building'.

Principal's Forum

An evening meeting held quarterly and coincides with the regularly scheduled PTO Wednesday evening meeting. The PTO meeting begins at 6:30pm so that the forum may start at 7pm. Each forum covers a different issue facing schools and families. Refreshments and babysitting are provided.

Reading Lists

Put together by our amazing librarians, a descriptive collection of books by grade level, beginning at third grade. Students are required to read books from this list as part of their summer homework.

Report Cards

Grades 6, 7, 8 only.

Room Parents

One to two parents per class who help organize class social events and facilitate communication between school and home.

SEPAC

Special Education Parent Action Committee. Brookline Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is a town-wide all-volunteer organization focused on special education in Brookline – from preschool through high school. We sponsor workshops and lectures on a range of topics, from reading instruction to managing behavior, from supporting students with weak executive function/organizational skills to updates on changes in special education law, and much more! We also host breakfasts and informal gatherings for parents to meet each other.

Each school has one or two liaisons – parents with children on IEPs in your school, who can help you with questions or offer support. In addition, SEPAC regularly meets with Brookline administrators and advocates for ways in which to improve special education in Brookline. Please visit our website to learn more.

School Council

An advisory group of elected parent representatives, teacher representatives and administrators that formulate the school improvement plan each year and work on implementation and assessment of that plan. Components may include academic, social and facility issues.

Song

Pierce is for people like you and me
Pierce is for people you must agree
Pierce is for people who help each other out
Pierce is for people that is what it is all about.

Speech Contest

Brookline's 8th graders compete in this annual 'rite of passage'. Guaranteed great performances by Pierce 8th graders!

Steps to Success

Builds aspirations, skills and confidence among low-income students (grades 4 through 12), primarily residing in Brookline public housing, so that they can succeed in school and make the dream of college education into a reality.

Summer Math

To complete over the summer and due the first week of school, a booklet of math problems and games designed to keep your child's mind sharp during those lazy summer days (see Summer Reading).

Summer Reading

Students entering grades 2-8 are required to read at least five books over the summer from these descriptive lists that the Librarians compile for each of these grades. Lists are published in May and can be found in your class, the school library and at May’s Book Fair.

Teacher's Room

A room on the first floor near the library for teachers to have their quiet time away from students. Teacher mailboxes are found here.

Third Thursday Breakfast

A wonderful pot luck breakfast held (you guessed it!) the third Thursday of each month in the back of the cafeteria at 8am. This is open to all parents, grandparents, guardians & teachers to informally mingle and 'shmooze'.

Thursday Folder

All grades. Bulletins, notices, important announcements and the Broadsheet are placed in this folder for your review. Don't forget to sign off once you've received it each week!!

Tunnel

The secret passageway between the Old Building and Ms. Humphrey's room allowing one to avoid winter's cruelties and spring rainstorms. (But you have to know the secret password!)

Understanding Disabilities

Within the fourth grade curriculum students are exposed to and learn about various disabilities. There are four week long sessions throughout the school-year; this is run by parent volunteers with the 4th grade teachers.

Website

You're looking at it!

Welcoming Families

Are you new and confused? Don't fret, your Welcoming Family is only a phone call away. The Outreach Committee assigns a family to help you through the maze.

World Language

Pierce offers Spanish and Mandarin to 7th & 8th graders. Brookline is working to bring back world language to lower grades.