11.19.

20
Respect, Responsibility, and Regard
Dates for the Calendar

• Bishop School Advisory Meeting (link) - Thursday, 11/19 at 5:30pm-6:30pm

• Bishop Diversity and Inclusion Group Meeting (link) - Thursday, 11/19 at 7:00pm-
8:00pm

• Remote Only Days - Monday 11/23 and Tuesday 11/24

• Remote Day with early dismissal at 11:30 AM - Wednesday, 11/25

• Thanksgiving Holiday - Thursday, 11/26 & Friday, 11/27

• Picture retake and sibling picture days - Monday 11/30 and Friday 12/4
• PTO Community Meeting - Wednesday 12/2 at 7pm
• Bishop Spirit Day - Friday 12/4
• Parent/Teacher Conferences - January 6th and 13th (Early Release 11:15am)

January 7th - Evening Conferences (6:00pm-8:00pm)

Note: There will be no Bishop Weekly Update for next week due to the upcoming Thanksgiving
holiday. The next Update will post on Thursday, December 3rd

Hello, Bishop Community ~ I am pleased to report that all is well and strong within both learning
models at the Bishop. We, as a community, have come together to make this unique experience in
time a safe, fun, and productive one. I am humbled to be part of this extraordinary community -
Thank you for your support, communication, and involvement.
Our Bishop staff has been working tirelessly to provide the best possible learning environment for
your children - I am grateful for their work and commitment to teaching and learning. Please join me
in this expression of gratitude for our Bishop staff as you see them out and about, in a Zoom, or
anywhere else!
I understand that this year’s holiday will be a bit different with the state and local travel guidelines,
and distancing restrictions, however, with this said, as you set off for the Thanksgiving holiday, I wish
you all the best and hope that you are able to spend quality time with the ones (within reach) who are
most important to you.

Nurse’s Notes
Dear Bishop Families,
We hope that this finds you all well. As we are rapidly approaching Thanksgiving and the holiday
season, we feel that it is incumbent upon us to share some thoughts with you. It is understood that
each family will make choices about how they will celebrate the holidays, but it is important for each
of us to understand that the choices that we make will impact the ability of our schools to stay open
and for the health of ourselves, our families, and those in our community. Yesterday Governor Baker
made the recommendation that you should only gather to celebrate Thanksgiving with members of
your household. Coronavirus cases are increasing at an alarming rate and we strongly encourage you
to follow the recommendations of our public health officials.
Thanksgiving Gatherings: Please be safe and consider the possibility that there may be an
asymptomatic positive person in your group or that someone may become sick the day after
Thanksgiving and now everyone that attended is considered a close contact and at risk for becoming
sick. A negative COVID test can provide a false sense of security- this simply means that at the
moment in time that the test was performed, a person can be negative on Monday and then test
positive on Tuesday. Testing remains just one part of the strategy to stay safe- always wear a mask,
maintain a distance of 6 feet or more from others, and perform hand hygiene. Additional
recommendations should be reviewed to make the gathering as safe as possible.
Thanksgiving Travel: Please remember that there are state mandated travel restrictions in place. If
you are traveling to a state besides NH, ME, VT or HI. The designation of a location as “low risk” is
subject to change with short notice. Please read HERE for further information. Additionally, Arlington
Public Schools requires that you quarantine at home for 14 days after you return from your trip,
regardless of a negative COVID test.
It is also important to remember that if you will be celebrating the holiday with visitors from out of
state, this is a source of increased risk to you and your family. Your visitors should follow the
guidelines for travelers based on where they have traveled from.
If your family will be traveling out of state over the holiday weekend, please let your child’s classroom
teacher, Mark McAneny and Katie Martin, RN know this information.
Thank you very much for your consideration of this and we wish you a safe and happy holiday.
Katie and Mark

Library News
Dear Bishop families,
We are very excited to announce that our first (and hopefully only) VIRTUAL Annual Book Fair starts
tomorrow - Friday NOVEMBER 20th - and runs until Friday DECEMBER 11th.

To browse and shop for books please visit the BestBookFairs website using the link AT THE TOP of
their Instruction Sheet, which you can find HERE. Books will be delivered to school FREE of charge ON
MONDAY, DECEMBER 14th, or can be delivered to homes for a fee.

Please read the Instructions for ordering carefully. Please note that we are including an additional
step if you wish to purchase your book as a Gift:

• IF YOU ARE PURCHASING A BOOK AS A GIFT FOR YOUR CHILD and do

NOT want it to be delivered to their classroom, PLEASE INDICATE THAT BY
ADDING “SECRET GIFT” to the Box at the end of the Checkout process that asks
for “Teacher Name” e.g. “SECRET GIFT/ MORAIS”. We will arrange for these
orders to be delivered to the Library for contactless, outdoor pick up.

Teachers are always very grateful for the generous donation of books to their classrooms. This year
instead of a wish list for each teacher, there is an option to buy $1 points on a gift card that the
teacher can then use to purchase the books of their choice at the end of the Sale. Again directions for
how to do that can be found on the Instruction Sheet. Orders that include this option do not need any
special labeling at Checkout (that is only required for books that are to be kept secret from a student -
see above).
Proceeds from the Sale will go towards books, supplies and subscriptions for the Library.
Thank you so much for your support.
We wish you all a safe and healthy Thanksgiving Holiday,
Ms. Vaishnaw and Ms. Bloch

Holiday Help 2020

Holiday Help is a program organized by the Town of Arlington to help local families in need provide
gifts to their children during the holiday season. For those of you that are familiar with this program,
you will notice it looks very different this year, but it's easier than ever to contribute!
The town is asking for gift cards in $25 increments, or checks made out to the Town of Arlington with
"holiday help" in the memo line. Gift cards can be from retailers such as Target, Walmart, CVS,
Walgreens, Best Buy, or local shops such as Maxima or Henry Bear's Park. You may also donate Visa or
MasterCard gift cards. Please sign up for a slot and send your contribution in by Friday, December 4.
There will be a dropbox for donations in the Bishop foyer, or you may contact Lori Reck at
reck.lori@gmail.com to make other arrangements. There will also be a locked dropbox in the lobby of
the Ed Burns Arena until December 1,if that is more convenient for you.
As always, thank you for your generosity and thoughtfulness!

BISHOP PTO NEWS

Original Works
Time to place your orders! If your child submitted artwork, you can now order products by visiting the
Original Works online store: store.originalworks.com/gallerylogin, enter School Code: Tjab
To find your child’s artwork, click the Teacher Search Box. Payments can be made by credit or debit
card and all orders are shipped directly to your home. Original Works products make great holiday
presents! The ordering deadline for delivery before Christmas is Monday, November 30.
And, if your student didn't submit artwork, there's still time to create art and place an order! Contact
Lindsay Sweeney at lindsay_sweeney4@yahoo.com for paper and separate ordering instructions.

The Second Time’s the Charm!

Your child should have received their school portraits this week. If not, they are coming home soon. If
you are dissatisfied with the portraits and would like another try, you have the opportunity for a
retake!
Retakes will occur in the cafeteria on the following days/times:
Monday, November 30
Hybrid Cohort A 8:30-10:30 AM
Remote Academy Grades K-2 10:45-11:45 AM
Friday, December 4
Hybrid Cohort B 8:30-10:30 AM
Remote Academy Grades 3-5 10:45-11:45 AM
There is no form to fill out. Simply have your child return the undamaged portrait package to the
photographer on their scheduled day. If you have specific instructions for the photographer, please jot
them down so that they show through the envelope window and can be easily spotted.
Retake packages will be distributed at school approximately 3-5 weeks following retake day.
Coffee Pond offers a full refund if you are dissatisfied with your photos. For a full refund information,
please visit www.coffeepond.com or email at lifeguards@coffeepond.com.
Sibling photos will also be offered on the retake days. If you are interested in sibling photos, please fill
out an order form online at www.coffeepond.com and click on the big red button that says “Order
School Portraits.” You can also fill out this paper form and return it on retake day. When filling out
either form, please fill out “sibling (last name)” for the name rather than the individual student’s
name. Grade/teacher does not matter--it can be left blank on the paper form. For the online form,
simply select any child’s grade/teacher as something needs to be filled out to submit the form. For
Remote Academy students, if your children’s assigned times are on different days, please bring your
children to either time that works best for your schedule.
Please reach out to Laura Tikonoff at laura.tikonoff@gmail.com with questions.

Bishop School Directory

We’re making the switch to a digital directory. It’s an easier, more secure method to access the Bishop
PTO Directory whether you’re at home, or on the go!
Sign up today by visiting: https://tools.ptoffice.com/reg/Bishop-Bears
password: 20Bishop21
YOU choose what information to share. YOU can print or download the directory.
Please register your family’s account on or before November 24th. The Directory will be created over
the Thanksgiving break and published digitally on December 1. Only those with a free account will be
able to access the private page that it is on.
To access your account, log in at: http://ptoffice.com. Once logged in, you can use the search bar at
the top of the page to search for others in the Directory.
Please reach out to Jessica Tsymbal at jtsymbal@gmail.com with questions.

Virtual Walkathon
Thank you to our amazing Walkathon coordinators, Katie Stencik and Elisa Komoni, for all their work
to re-imagine the Virtual Walkathon. Also, a big thanks to the Bishop Community for participating and
supporting us this year! From your generous donations, we raised approximately $7K to support our
Bishop students and teachers! We greatly appreciate your help. If you have not already done so,
please enter your miles on Pledgestar and/or send in your checks. It will help us finalize our
numbers.
For questions, please contact Katie Stencik at kastencik@gmail.com and/or Elisa Komoni at
elisa.komoni@gmail.com.

Arlington Eats 2020 Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive!

This time of year we typically ask for donations for the annual AYCC Thanksgiving Food Drive. 2020 is
not a typical year! This year, we are asking for APS families to donate to Arlington Eats’ capital
campaign instead of the usual food donation.
Arlington Eats is so excited that work has started on their new location on Broadway in Arlington. The
campaign fund is so important to the success of this new building and we truly hope to get the word
out and help Arlington Eats hit their goal of 1 million dollars!! We are all so blessed to live in such an
amazing community, and we are fortunate to have so many people coming together to help those
that need it most.
Please use this link to donate.
In addition, you can still donate unexpired, non-perishable food items to the bin located in the front
lobby at Bishop.
To get some variety in our donations, here are suggestions by your child’s grade level:
Grades: K/1: Coffee
Grade 2: Sun Butter
Grade 3: Pasta Sauce
Grade 4: Shelf Stable Soy Milk
Grade 5: Shelf Stable Almond Milk
Any questions, please email Sarah Popper at sarahepopper@yahoo.com or Julie Kahn-Schaye at
jkschaye@gmail.com.

AmazonSmile for Bishop!

Black Friday and the holiday season is fast approaching! At no cost to you, AmazonSmile will donate
0.5% of all eligible purchases to Bishop (John A. Bishop PTO)! In a time when we are ordering more
online and donations are more important than ever, this is an easy way to support Bishop. From July 1
to September 30, Bishop received $137.29 from AmazonSmile just from orders placed through the
Smile app/website! Also, anyone can add Bishop to as a charity for AmazonSmile so please forward
this information to family and friends who also want to support our amazing community! The best
part is you can sign up for AmazonSmile in just three steps!

Stop & Shop A+ School Rewards Program

Stop & Shop has a great fundraiser called the A+ School Rewards Program, where you can select up to
two schools to receive automatic donations from your grocery purchases at no cost to you. Bishop
recently received a $173.22 donation from the program just from people shopping at Stop & Shop
between August to October 2020! All you need to do is register for a Stop & Stop rewards card and
select Bishop as your A+ School - https://stopandshop.com/pages/a-plus-reward! So whether you’re
grabbing a few items or getting all of your Thanksgiving ingredients, every purchase goes towards
Bishop once you’ve signed up for the A+ Rewards Program!

Bishop PTO Annual Fund

Wow! A big thank you to everyone who has already made their Annual Fund contribution. We realize
this is a very challenging year and greatly appreciate your generosity during these trying times. So far
we have put funds towards:

• $200 checks to all remote/hybrid teachers for class set up and supplies
• $210 grant to the three 5th grade teachers for a spellingcity.com subscription
• $250 check to all 19 class parent(s) in remote/hybrid classes
• 186 individual dry erase boards for all grade 3-5 remote/hybrid students
• Social distancing cones/dots
• Indoor/outdoor seating for hybrid some hybrid and specialist classrooms
• Outdoor hand washing stations
• Towels, tissues, pencils, glue sticks to stock supply closet

If you haven’t had a chance to donate yet, we are asking families to consider donating $135/child to
the PTO Annual Fund so we can continue supporting our teachers, classrooms, and students to the
best of our ability during these unprecedented times, as well as to help plan for enrichment
opportunities in the latter part of the year that will be available for the remote and hybrid students.
Donations to the Bishop PTO Annual Fund can be made by any of the following ways:
 • PayPal via the PTO Website - http://www.bishopschoolpto.com (please scroll down
and click on the PayPal link in the “Quick Links” section)
• Check payable to “John A. Bishop PTO” (this can be dropped at the Bishop main
office). Please also print and complete this online form and include it with your
check

Did you know you can select John A. Bishop PTO for your company’s corporate match program? This is
an easy way to get more donations for Bishop, as many companies participate in corporate matching!
Please contact your company to see if you qualify, and please direct any corporate match questions to
David Brecht, PTO Co-Treasurer, at taavi4598@gmail.com.
Please note: the Bishop PTO is a volunteer non-profit and all funds raised go towards supporting our
children and teachers with the exception of a nominal cost for overhead expenses.

PTO Community Meeting

Wednesday, December 2nd at 7PM via Zoom
Join us the evening of December 2nd for our Virtual PTO Community Meeting via Zoom. We will recap
our PTO fall activities and have a discussion about mental health and wellness with Colleen Leger and
Linda Suzuki from the Arlington Youth Counseling Center (AYCC).
In advance of the December meeting, the minutes from our October 7th PTO Community Meeting
have been posted here.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98845915805?pwd=cHc5ZkhhN296UVBNK2ZPOHM2dWwzQT09
Meeting ID: 988 4591 5805
Passcode: 566612

Community News:
Interested in getting information to the Bishop community? Information that you’d like to share with
the Bishop community can be included in the weekly Principal’s Update. Please email the relevant
information to Amanda Maltais (Communications Coordinator, Bishop PTO) at aemaltais@gmail.com.

Arlington Youth Counseling Center Fundraiser

This year marks an important milestone for AYCC, as we celebrate 50 years of outstanding mental
health care and compassionate service to Arlington’s youth and families. We wish we could celebrate
our golden anniversary together. However, in lieu of our annual gala, please renew your commitment
to AYCC by supporting our “50k for 50 Years” fundraising campaign. Now, more than ever, in the face
of so much uncertainty, families in Arlington are turning to AYCC for help—whether for accessible,
affordable and high-quality mental health services, or for help with basic resource needs.
Please visit our website aycc50.org to make a donation and to learn more about our campaign. We
will share stories and highlight the many ways that AYCC has impacted the lives of young people and
families over the past 50 years.
We are deeply grateful for your ongoing support and wish you and your loved ones continued
wellbeing and safety during these challenging times.

Arlington Education Foundation Stars

It's that time of the year! Give an AEF Star Certificate to an educator or staff to say thank you for all
they do! Donate your Star online at https://aefma.org/stars . Our teachers and staff have shown such
creativity, caring, and perseverance as they build new ways to educate our children. Send a Star
Certificate to recognize educators who remain dedicated to our children's education, both in-person
and remotely.
For a donation of $20 or more, the educator/staff of your choice will receive a certificate that honors
them with a gift in their name.
Stars donations go back into our schools as funding for AEF grants both large and small. Read more
about AEF latest news here: https://www.aefma.org/impact/updates
While you can give a teacher a Star Certificate at any time during the year, the deadline to ensure
delivery before the holiday break is December 5, 2020.

Arlington Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Meeting Schedule

Members of the Bishop community are invited to join any of the upcoming SEPAC meetings for the
year. Please see the meeting schedule and Zoom link below:

• December 8th: Evening Meeting (7-8pm)

• January 12th: Morning Meeting (9-10am)
• February 9th: Evening Meeting (7-8pm)
• March 9th: Morning Meeting (9-10am)
• April 13th: Evening Meeting (7-8pm)
• May 11th: Morning Meeting (9-10am)
• June 8th: Evening Meeting (7-8pm)

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86234778319?pwd=ZDFPdDNZZjZxbXVwNUYyZDR1VjJsUT09

Meeting ID: 862 3477 8319
Passcode: 043991
Holiday Gift Drive for Teens in Need
Through Dec. 10, Scouts BSA Troop 306 is running a Holiday Gift Drive to benefit local teens in need
served by the Arlington Department of Children & Families. Suggested small, unwrapped items
include: winter hats/gloves/socks, art supplies, small games/cards/puzzles.
New this year! Shop from home via the Troop 306 Amazon Wish List at tinyurl.com/Troop306 and
items will be shipped directly to the Troop coordinator. Or drop items off at collection bins at Gold’s
Gym (30 Park Ave.), Leader Bank (141 Mass. Ave.), the Arlington Police Department (112 Mystic St) as
well as scout family homes. For more information, T306Arlington@gmail.com.
Varallo Orthodontics Partners in Education Program
Over the past several years, budget cuts have affected our local schools. To offset some of those cuts,
Varallo Orthodontics has started the Partners in Education Program, or P.I.E. For every patient in
grades K-8 who starts orthodontic treatment with their office, they will donate $25 to the patient's
school PTO. This program runs until 12/31/20. To schedule a free consultation or find out more, visit
them at varalloortho.com.

Stay Up to Date
Bishop PTO Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BishopPTO/
Websites:
Bishop School (general info, links to the school system): http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/bishop/
Bishop School (news and events): https://bishopschool.net/
Bishop PTO: http://www.bishopschoolpto.com/
DIG website: https://bishopdig.weebly.com/. To join our mailing list, please email
bishopdig@gmail.com