Stuffie Sleepover in the New Driscoll School!

As we get closer to next week’s opening of the new Driscoll School, we were very lucky to arrange a sneak peek into the new building… for our students’ stuffies! Read on for the story of:

THE (SECOND) GREAT DRISCOLL STUFFIE SLEEPOVER ADVENTURE!

Some of our students may remember last year’s Stuffie Sleepover (if you don’t, you can check it out here). Let’s just say things didn’t always go according to plan… those stuffies sure knew how to get into mischief!

But, as we started getting ready to move into the new Driscoll School, the stuffies really wanted to visit the school again. They promised not to get into any trouble this time. But would they be able to behave?

Our students dropped their stuffies in the current building’s Theater first thing on Wednesday morning. After everyone had been checked in, we counted how many friends would be spending the night at Driscoll. Last year’s 107 stuffies must have invited some friends, because this year we counted 168 stuffies!

But before the fun could get started, there was some bad news. There had been a construction delay, and the new Driscoll School had not yet received its C.O.S.O. (Certificate of Stuffie Occupancy). Mr. Youkilis came into the Theater to warn all the stuffies that they were not allowed into the new Driscoll School.

But do you think that stopped them?

Of course not!

Mr. Youkilis had barely left the Theater before the stuffies started thinking of ways to get into the new Driscoll School. They finally decided to sneak a few stuffies in through the front door, who could keep an eye out while the rest sneaked in.

Drake, the Black Dog, Abby Cadabby, Charmander, and Count Puppers stayed at the Front Desk keeping watch for trouble. Before long, all the stuffies had sneaked into the new Driscoll School!

But where would they go?

Everywhere, of course!

Mia, Bismarck, T Rex, Slothy, and Beulah wanted to check out the new Theater. They were a little disappointed that the chairs weren’t set up yet.

But that didn’t stop Gogloyelle, Clifford, Narwhal, Sloth, and Cookies and Cream from trying to have a concert on the new stage!

Seagull, Taco, Elys, and Avi went up to the second floor to look down on the Theater from the balcony.

Indy Bear even tried to figure out how to use the spotlight!

Some of the other stuffies wanted to make music of their own. Koala, Pikachu, Monkey D. Luffy, Moosey Moose, and Pop Rocket decided to check out the newly unpacked Music Rooms.

Cheetah, Lobster Reindeer, Baby, White Rabbit, and Dance Party Bunny even started playing the drums!

A few friends even went back to the Main Office and tried to leave messages in the teachers’ mailboxes.

Some of the other stuffies bravely ventured up to the Second Floor.

Nutcracker, Squishmallow, Stella, Unicorn Mermaid, and Milk decided to try out some of the comfy furniture by the stairs.

Mountain, Miles Morales, Po Bear, Peppy, and Pikachu thought that sounded like a good idea (and Pikachu loved the color of the chairs!).

Arlo, Benjamin Pig, Bunny, Stripes, and Mickey preferred the chairs on the Third Floor.

Mew Two, Venus, Dragon, Glitter and Pom-Pom wanted to sit at a table instead (although they were also happy to share chairs!).

Jelly Junior, Pika, their lemur friend, Mini Winnie the Pooh, and Pink Puppy wanted to explore the cubbies in the hall before students could fill them up with their backpacks and jackets.

Rainbow Tail, Flamingoie, Franken Kitty, Ellie, and Dixie all admired the student art work that had already been hung up around the halls.

But Grogu, Hopscotch, Big Soft Teddy Bear, PJ, and Merphy found plenty of boxes that hadn’t been unpacked yet!

Lion, Lion Gary, Bun Bun, Penguino, and Teddy were getting thirsty. They were very excited to see the Water Bottle Filing Stations (although Penguino kept getting everyone wet!).

Pandy, Harley Davidson Pig, Marook, Blackie, and Ponpon Bon went downstairs again to find something to eat in the Cafeteria, but they were disappointed to see that there wasn’t any food yet.

Verdant, Snowball, Red, Rhino, and Hatchmon Rose went to the Teachers’ Lounge to find something to eat instead, but all they found in the microwave was Uny!

Charmander, Blackie the Dog, Puppy, Bearr, and Mr. FAO Bear found an empty display case on the Third Floor, and decided to fill it up themselves!

Mew, Beary, Fluff Fluff, Squish Orange, and Panda couldn’t wait to see what the Art Room looked like. They even tried unpacking some of the art supplies!

Sunny Kitin, Sharkey, Umbreon, and Sparkles had so much fun in the Art Room they needed to wash their hands when they were finished! But Kitty decided that she would rather drink some tea and take a nap.

Some of the stuffies couldn’t wait to visit the new Library. Spider-Bear, Dorito, Scooter, BB-8, and Candy all tried to figure out how to check out books at Ms. Reid’s desk.

Cutie Dino, Blue Bunny, Ophelia, Hank, and Foxy found some of their favorite books in the book bins.

Charizard, Pillow Cat, Octopuse, Duffy, and Fluffy Hearty were happy to see the picture books had already been put on shelves.

Orcty, Flora, Billie Ellish, Sloth, and Snowy weren’t quite so lucky!

Some of the stuffies wanted to see what was on the Fourth Floor.

Red Dino, Strawberry Popsicle, Baby Yoda, Bridgit & Beatrice wanted to find out how many stuffies could fit inside one of the Middle School lockers.

Hedgie, Daisy, Squish Fang, Fliauf, and Big Bear wanted to see what was in the cabinets in Mr. Hazlinsky’s new Science Room.

Coco, Warrior, Snek Boi, Apple Pie, and Koala were a little confused about the Emergency Eyewash station, though. They thought it was a shower!

Long, C.C., Ava, and Zack tried to help Ms. Hart unpack some of her Eighth Graders ELA books, but they just ended up making a bigger mess!

Some of the other stuffies went downstairs to check out the new Gym.

Kamalia, Sapphire, Croc, Fred, Jelly the Elephant, Pandy, Sunny, and Stella Lou pretended to be dragons at center court of the new Basketball Court.

Mr. Monkey, Pineapple Cutie, Mr. Chickenhead, Steve, and Char Char watched them from the bleachers.

Saiya, D-Devil, Rubble, Ibis, and Green Dinosaur were excited to see that the Driscoll 100th anniversary mural had been moved inside the Gym!

But things were starting to get out of hand!

Monkey & Purple Bear and their elephant friend took Ralph the Squid up to the Nurse’s Office after he bumped his head, while Loony the Loon and Pink Dolphin looked for an ice pack.

Uniky, Chase, Wolfie, Lit, and Stella even went to the Principal’s Office to find Mr. Youkilis, but he still hadn’t unpacked!

All the stuffies decided it was time to head back to the old Driscoll School before they got in too much trouble. Before they left, they all gathered on the main staircase for a group picture.

Thanks to everyone who sent in their stuffies! Special thanks to the parent volunteers who helped bring the stuffies over to the new Driscoll School and to Calista (8th Grade) and Emma (6th Grade) for helping organize this event and take pictures.

Please note that, while we tried to spell all the stuffies’ names right, sometimes we might have made a mistake reading their handwriting! If we got anything wrong, just let us know!

Driscoll School Time Capsule - Do Not Open Until 2048!

As we prepare to move into the new Driscoll School in the Fall, the Driscoll PTO has been finding ways to both say goodbye to the current building and get our students excited about the new school.  One of our most exciting opportunities has been the creation of a Time Capsule, which will be walled up underneath a staircase in the new building.  It will be in place for twenty-five years, and will not be opened until 2048 (and if you want to feel really old, ask your kids how old they will be in 2048!).

We asked all of our students to give us suggestions about items to include in the Time Capsule, and each grade was given the opportunity to include one item of their choice.  While we were limited by space and weren’t able to include all of their suggestions (some of our favorite rejected ideas: the back of the art room, an empty chocolate milk container, the Spring Fair, or “maybe a piece of paper that says in all caps “DRAMA”).

We wanted to share the contents of the Time Capsule with the Driscoll Community, along with a letter that will let students in twenty-five years understand what we included.  We hope you enjoy this as an end of the year treat!

Hello Driscoll School Class of 2048!

 In June 2023, as we prepared to move into the new Driscoll School, the Driscoll PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) worked with students and teachers to put together this time capsule.  We hope it gives you an idea of what it was like to attend Driscoll School twenty-five years ago.

 Each grade was given the opportunity to include one item in this time capsule:

  • Our Kindergarten students put together a collage with pictures of “some of our favorite places in the old Driscoll School.”

  • Our First Graders love to read, so they have included one of their favorite books from their classroom library: A Big Guy Took My Ball! from the Elephant & Piggie series, which they all signed.

  • Every Spring, our Second Graders put on the play Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock.  They included the script so you could perform it too!

  • Our Third Graders love learning about nature.  This year, each class raised trout, which they studied before taking a field trip to a local park where they released their fish into the wild.  To remember this project they included diagrams of their trout, which each student signed, along with some of their observations.

  • Our Fourth Graders love to read too, so they have included a copy of one of their favorite read-aloud books, Because of Winn Dixie, which they also signed.

  • One of the most popular units for our Fifth Graders is learning about the Revolutionary War.  Students are randomly assigned the identity of a person who was alive in Boston at the time, and play the part of either a Patriot (who is in favor of the Revolution) or a Loyalist (who remains loyal to England).  At the beginning of the week, they are given 100 shillings and are taxed according to their activities (for example, eating a sugary snack cost two shillings).  They chose to include a packet of shillings, along with some other information about this activity.

  • Our Middle School wing is decorated with posters reminding students of the Driscoll Middle School Values (R.I.C.K. – Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Kindness).  Our Sixth Graders wanted to include one of these posters, which they all signed.

  • Our Seventh Grade wanted to include a “Trapper Keeper” with a Dragon Book academic planner inside, which they used to carry around their Chromebook computers and other school supplies (of course, most of their Trapper Keepers were much more beat-up than this one!).  To make it more personal, they each signed the planner on the page with their birthday.

  • Our Eighth Grade chose a playbill from this year’s Eighth Grade play, Willie Wonka Jr., signed by the cast and crew, along with an important prop: the Wonka bar which included Charlie’s Golden Ticket.

We also chose other items from around the school, to represent as many parts of the Driscoll experience as possible.  These include:

  • Three books from the Driscoll Library.  Hot Dog was the winner of the Mock Caldecott program for students in grades K-3.  A Rover’s Story was the winner of the DSBA (Driscoll Student Book Award) for students in grades 4-5, and Six Crimson Cranes was the winner for students in grades 6-8.  We also included the voting sheets for the two DSBA winning books, which students used to choose their favorite books.

  • A student designed sticker from the KEEP Club (Kids Expect Environmental Protection), an environmental club made up of students in 5-8 grade, as well as a copy of their “Scrap the Cap” petition to encourage the Whole Foods grocery store chain to stop using plastic caps.

  • Some of our students wanted to “add a stack of masks to remind us of how we got through COVID-19,” along with a package of home COVID Tests.  Also from the Nurse’s Office, we included a “Lost Tooth Holder” for students who had wiggly teeth fall out during the school day.

  • One of the many “LGBTQ Safe Zone” stickers that teachers have posted on their classroom doors, to represent our GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance) student group.

  • A copy of the Middle School newspaper, The Dragonian.

  • A long-sleeved Driscoll School T-shirt, sweatshirt, water bottle, and pencil case.

  • A flyer advertising the Spring Fair, along with ten ride tickets.

  • An “MCAS Testing” poster, which was hung around the halls during standardized testing.

  • The sign from our METCO office, to represent all our students who live in Boston and travel to school in Brookline.  METCO (The Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity) provides the opportunity for children from racially segregated schools in Boston and children from racially isolated schools in towns like Brookline to learn together in an integrated public school setting.  It is the nation’s largest voluntary school desegregation program, and is an essential part of the Driscoll community.

  • A student created poster for our first annual Juneteenth Celebration, hosted by our Young African American and Latino Scholars program.

  • A copy of the “Driscoll Diaries: Celebrating 100 Years of Memories” book, put together in 2011 by the Driscoll Centennial Committee.

  • A Spanish fan to represent our Spanish language classes, along with messages in Spanish from some of our students.

  • A ladle from the Cafeteria, signed by our Cafeteria Manager, and a lunch tray.

  • And finally, a piece of a brick from the original Driscoll School.

 We hope you have enjoyed this look into the past of Driscoll School!  It has always been a special place for our students, as we hope it continues to be for you, and generations yet to come.

Tours of Driscoll School

Later this year Brookline will celebrate the opening of a new Driscoll School, when construction of the new building is complete in the Fall.  Once students and educators have moved in to the new school, construction will shift to demolishing the historic building to create space for the playground and fields of the new school.

The historic Driscoll School opened in 1911, and has been an integral part of the lives of many generations of students.  The Driscoll PTO would like to invite any members of the Driscoll community, past or present, to experience the building one last time before the doors close forever.  We will be offering tours of the building on Thursday, June 22 from 3 – 6 PM, and on Saturday, June 24 from 2 – 5 PM.  Please sign up ahead of time at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0F4EADAE28A0FE3-driscoll1

While we are sad to be leaving the historic building, we are also very excited to see our students settle in to their new school!  We are currently working on plans for an Open House this Winter to bring members of our community in to experience the new Driscoll School, and allow us to celebrate its place in the lives of our students for generations to come.  Stay tuned for more information! 

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!  We have a number of things planned for this week to celebrate our amazing educators.  But we wanted to start the week off with some messages straight from our families:

 

To Ms. Bouquet (4th Grade):  “Ms. Bouquet, you have done such an amazing job not only as a teacher, but as a friend. You are an amazing person and have made school so much more enjoyable. I hope you continue to bring joy and fun to everyone around you!”

To Ms. Cuddihy (1st Grade):  We wanted to take a moment to express our deep appreciation for all the hard work and dedication you put into teaching our child this year. As a first-grade teacher, you have played a crucial role in laying the foundation for her future academic and personal success, and for that, we are truly grateful…  Your patience, kindness, and enthusiasm for teaching have not gone unnoticed.”

 

To Ms. Konefar (ELE teacher): "Thank you for all you do. I really appreciate your dedication and hard work in the classroom…  Thank you for being an awesome teacher!"

 

To Ms. Roth (4th Grade): “Thank you for being so dedicated and creating a great learning environment all year long!”

 

Thanks so much to all our families who responded. 

Family Giving Campaign Stuffie Sleepover!

Thanks to the generosity of our families, this year’s Family Giving Campaign has reached our half-way goal of $20,000. This means that we earned a Stuffie Sleepover for all of our students! The Family Giving Campaign is still running through the end of the month, and we have not yet reached our goal, so it is not too late to donate today!

But without further delay, here is the story of…

THE GREAT DRISCOLL STUFFIE SLEEPOVER ADVENTURE!

Our students dropped off their stuffies in the Driscoll Theater before school on Tuesday. Some of the toys felt a little nervous at first to be away from home, but they quickly realized what a safe and fun place Driscoll is. We checked in all of our new plush friends, and made sure everyone was comfortable in their new surroundings.

After all the toys had been checked in, we counted how many friends would be spending the night at Driscoll: 107 stuffies! The most toys came from Second Grade (with 15 from Ms. Harvey’s class alone!). Then all the toys posed for a group photo in the Theater.

The stuffies spent the rest of the day in the Theater getting to know each other. Some of them were tempted to explore the building, but there was always a lot of noise coming from the hallways so they decided to stay in the Theater for the moment.

But after school ended, the halls started to get quieter. And the toys started to get a little braver. They had all heard so much about Driscoll School, and couldn’t wait to get a chance to explore it for themselves.

However, Mr. Youkilis had other plans. Before he left for the night, Mr. Youkilis reminded all the stuffies to behave and not to wander around the school. But would they listen?

Of course not!

Once the coast was clear, the toys sneaked out of the Theater and started to explore the school in small groups.

Funshine Bear, Candy, and Winnie the Pooh & Piglet had heard so much about lockers that they couldn’t wait to try one out for themselves.

A lot of stuffies loved to read, and were eager to check out our amazing Library.

Cookies ‘n Cream, Floppy, Bunny Peep, and Hobbes Peanut Stripey Knees the 3rd each found a great book to read (Hobbes even read about his namesake!).

Rainbow, Nike the Cat, Pinky, and Squish Squish were more in the mood for picture books.

Elophanta even read an “Elephant and Piggie” book to Mister Potato, Fennec Fox, and Rainbow Stingray. They all love Mo Willems!

Odion, Kyogre, Penguin Stuffie, and Sprinkles couldn’t decide what to read, so they took some time to just hang out and talk.

A small dog, Small Knitting Panda, Ducky, George Washington Bear, and Lily all wanted to read some of our Driscoll School Book Award nominees.

Some of the other stuffies wanted to see the classrooms.

Fluffy, Rot, Pino, and Fluffomelon explored the cubbies in Ms. Shea’s classroom.

Redavur, Mario, Bow, and Peach all got cozy in Ms. Filippone’s classroom.

Bojo, Uni, Lizzy, and Sweetie Pie read some great books about important women in Ms. Snow’s classroom. They loved learning about Frida Kahlo!

Slothy, Gigi, S, and Pikachu liked looking around Ms. Harvey’s classroom. S, keep your hands out of that marble jar before…

Oh, no! It looks like Tate and Andy weren’t so careful!

Sebastian (also known as Beary), Koala, Yum Yum, and Sassafrass loved the classroom library in Ms. Sullivan’s room.

Caily, Rooky, Sinclair, and Rosie tried to do some math in Ms. Pescosolito’s classroom.

By that time, it was getting late and some of the toys were starting to get hungry.

Uh oh! Bob Ross the Seal, Valy, Puddles, and Max Husky sneaked in Ms. Hawkins’ classroom to steal some of her yummy snacks!

Rapunzel, Rainbow Bunny & Small Turtle, Lucy, and Dolly stopped by the cafeteria to see if they could get a midnight snack.

Goldie the cobra, Neptune, and Smokey were in the cafeteria too, where they were looking for some coffee to help them stay awake!

Meanwhile in the Middle School hallway, Dad Dog, Frodo Bear, and Danny looked around in Mr. Hazlinsky’s classroom. Hopefully they didn’t mess up his gardening project too much!

Dan, Mooney, Rutabaga, and Lavender visited Mr. Cochin’s classroom, and left some interesting lesson plans behind!

Downstairs in the Music Room, Vaporeon, Choclit Cake Cat, Whaley, and Larry tried to figure out how to play the piano, but it was pretty hard since none of them can read sheet music (plus, none of them have fingers!).

Dinorex, Unicorn with Rainbow, Snowdrop, and S’more Squishmellow had a little more luck playing the African drums!

In the Art Room, Carrot, Snowy, Panda, and Lord Littles wanted to create some self-portraits, but they couldn’t find any paint.

Shark x2, Big Panda, and Charlie were glad to help them out, though! Be careful not to get paint all over the place!

Rainbow, Alex, Bear, and Mooshi still had a lot of energy, so they tried climbing the walls in the Gym.

It was getting very late now, and some of the toys were getting very mischievous…

Manco, Scooter, Pounce, and Jelly, you are definitely not allowed to slide down the railing!

Peppy, Meme, Emily, and Fudge wanted some Driscoll merchandise, but nothing was in their size…

…but that didn’t stop Bulbasaur and Monkey from trying too!

April, Lit, Squids, and No Name Dog, toys are not allowed in the Teachers’ Lounge!

Finally, some very naughty stuffies decided to sneak in to the Main Office!

Oh no! Squash, Snowflake, Maya, and Rush - don’t use Ms. Bartley’s walkie-talkie!

Warrior, Squishy, Slothie, and Krypto the Super Doggie even tried to figure out how to make announcements in Mr. Youkilis’s office!

By that time, it was getting very late, and all the stuffies were getting very tired. They all gathered together in the Small Gym to get ready to go to bed.

Kitty was the first one to get in her pajamas.

But soon, all the stuffies found comfy places to fall asleep.

All the stuffies got a great night’s sleep, after such a busy day. While they were excited to go home again, they also hoped they would get to hang out again with all their new friends soon.

Thanks to everyone who sent in their stuffies! Special thanks to Calista (7-2) and Emma G. (5Z) for helping organize this event and take pictures. Please note that, while we tried to spell all the stuffies’ names right, sometimes we might have made a mistake reading their handwriting! If we got anything wrong, just let us know!

The Driscoll PTO Family Giving Campaign is Back!

THE DRISCOLL PTO FAMILY GIVING CAMPAIGN IS BACK!

Each year, the town of Brookline provides a budget for our school. Unfortunately, the cost to meet the needs of our diverse student body exceeds what is budgeted. In order to support our teachers and administration and help cover the costs that fall outside this budget, the Driscoll PTO hosts a Family Giving Campaign for our school every March. 

Our Annual Appeal goal is to raise $40,000 in just one month: March 1 - 31. We need YOUR help to make this happen! 

WAYS TO DONATE

Visit driscollpto.org to donate via PayPal, or you can contribute via Venmo (@DriscollPTO), or via check (you'll receive an envelope in your child's take-home folder this week).

NEW THIS YEAR! We’re offering school-wide incentives for each fundraising milestone we hit. See chart below.

Thanks for your support, and please consider making a contribution today!


$5,000

FREE ICE SKATING! If we raise $5,000 by March 10, all ice skate rentals at the Driscoll PTO Family Skating Event on Saturday, March 11 at Warrior Ice Arena will be paid for by the PTO instead of by individual families

$10,000

School-wide Pajama Day

$15,000

Morning Announcement Dance Party

$20,000

Stuffy Sleepover! Students can drop off a toy after school one day, and we will take pictures of them "getting into mischief" around the school overnight.  

$25,000

After-school Popsicle Party

$30,000

Students will be able to duct tape someone to a wall!  (And wait until you find out who has volunteered to be duct taped!)

$35,000

Teacher Appreciation Level - Teachers get to wear costumes, or whatever crazy things they want, to school

$40,000

School-wide Spirit Week

Join us at the Fall Fling Family Dance on October 22!

The Fall Fling is back! This year's event will take place on Sat, Oct 22 from 3 – 5 PM on the blacktop outside the cafeteria. Join us for games, music, food, and more.

NEW this year! We are introducing a Trunk or Treat as part of the Fall Fling and are seeking volunteers to decorate cars. Here's how it works:

10 cars will be parked behind Driscoll (in the lower lot near Washington St). Each trunk is decorated in its own unique theme, and instead of going from house to house, the kids trick or treat from car to car.

We are currently seeking volunteers to decorate cars! You can keep it simple or showcase your creativity; for some fun decorating ideas click here: trunk or treat ideas. 

Click here to volunteer: Driscoll Trunk or Treat Volunteer Sign Up Form

 Closer to the event date, we'll be seeking volunteers to donate candy.

Aladdin Jr. Tickets on Sale Now!

Aladdin Jr. Tickets on Sale Now!

Tickets are now on sale for the Driscoll Eighth Grade production of Aladdin Jr.! The play will be performed in the Driscoll Theater for families this Friday, June 3rd at 6:30 PM, and again this Saturday, June 4th at 6:30 PM. Students will be seeing the play in school (either in-person for our youngest students, or virtually for our older students).

Tickets for Friday and Saturday night are $10 per person. Tickets can be purchased at the door (using cash, check made out to Driscoll PTO, or Venmo), or can be purchased ahead of time using Venmo (@DriscollPTO). If you are paying with Venmo please include what night/nights you are buying the tickets for.

Join us at the Spring Fair

We hope you can join us for the return of the Spring Fair on Sunday May 29th from 12 noon – 4 PM!


This is one of our students’ favorite Driscoll traditions, but because of COVID we haven’t been able to hold the Spring Fair for 3 years, which means many of our younger students have never been able to experience it. The Spring Fair is our annual outdoor carnival, with rides, games, food, and more. If you would like to see some pictures from past Spring Fairs, check out this blog post from two years ago: https://www.driscollpto.org/blog/spring-fair-memories.


There will be some differences in this year’s Spring Fair. Because of the ongoing construction, we will not be able to hold it at Driscoll School. Instead, this year’s Spring Fair will be held at the Winthrop Square Park in Brookline (also known as the Rose Garden Park), at the corner of St. Paul Street and Freeman Street. We will also be holding it on a weekend afternoon instead of a weekday, since that was the only time that worked for both the Park Department and the amusement company delivering the rides.


But this year’s Spring Fair will still be the same experience that our students remember and love. We will have an inflatable moon bounce and obstacle course, carnival rides and games (including the Gyro Orbitron, Aztec ride, chair swing, and more), fair food (cotton candy, popcorn, snow cones, fried dough), games, and so much more! We can’t wait to see you at the Spring Fair!

But to make this event work, we need your help! This beloved community event revolves around volunteer support. It takes around 200 volunteer hours to make this event run smoothly. We will need volunteer support from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM on the day of the fair. Please consider donating your time and energy to this fabulous end of year event, and sign up at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050f4baca723abfb6-2022

The Return of Kids for Kids!

Kids for Kids returns on Thursday, May 26th!

We are very excited to be bringing back Kids for Kids performances for our 1-5 Grades as part of the return of a smaller scale Arts Equinox event, for the first time in three years! Students have already started rehearsing, and they can’t wait to share their performances with their parents. Performances will be held in the Driscoll Theater, and parents from each grade are welcome to attend in person! We are also planning to record each grade level to share with any parents in that grade who are unable to attend.

Here is the performance schedule for Kids for Kids:
4TH GRADE - 8:10 AM - 9:10 AM
1ST GRADE - 9:20 AM - 10:20 AM
2ND GRADE - 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
3RD GRADE - 12:00 noon - 1:00 PM
5TH GRADE - 1:10 PM - 2:10 PM

Please use the Recess door (number 10) on the first floor to enter the building, turn right, and head down the hallway to the Theater (on the left!). Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Last Chance for the Family Giving Campaign!

This is the last chance for you to have your donation counted as part of this year’s Driscoll PTO Family Giving Campaign – no fooling!

We want to thank everyone who has already donated to this year’s Family Giving Campaign! We have currently raised $18,632 towards our goal of $30,000.

The Family Giving Campaign raises money each year to cover teacher grants, classroom materials, guest speakers, and community events (e.g. Spring Fair, Science Solstice, Arts Equinox) that fall outside the school budget. If we are unable to raise sufficient funds, our ability to produce these events may be compromised.

You can still make a donation via Venmo @DriscollPTO, donate via PayPal, or send a check in to your classroom teacher. We are also aiming for 100% of Driscoll families to participate, so please donate whatever you can today. We understand that every family’s ability to give is different. Every donation makes a difference.

At $5,000: Homework Pass for a student – ACHIEVED!
At $10,000: School-wide Pajama Day – ACHIEVED!
At $15,000: A student can choose a book to be donated to the Driscoll Library in their name – ACHIEVED!
At $20,000: Evening Zoom Bedtime Story for the entire school: Read by Mr. Youkilis, Ms. Bartley, and Ms. Lyons
At $25,000: A student can shadow a school administrator (Principal, Assistant Principal) for part of the day
At $30,000: Teacher Appreciation Level: Bring in a Food Truck for all Driscoll Educators
(Stretch Goal) At $35,000: Private Lunch for a student and their favorite teacher

As you can see, we have reached the $15,000 level, which means that one student was randomly selected to choose a book to be donated to the Driscoll Library in their name. Congratulations to Jannat in 5H; Ms. Reid will be in touch with you soon to pick out a book! We know that Mr. Youkilis, Ms. Lyons, and Ms. Bartley are looking forward to hosting the Zoom Storytime at the $20,000 level, so keep those donations coming in!

Return of the Science Fair!

We are very excited to announce the return this year of a longstanding tradition: the Driscoll Science Fair! The continuing uncertainties around the pandemic have necessitated some changes in the scheduling and logistics around this event, but we believe we will be able to hold the fair in-person in a safe and enjoyable fashion. This year’s event will take place on Saturday April 30th, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to noon on the outdoor playspace next to the cafeteria. In the event of inclement weather, we will move the fair indoors to the cafeteria and gym (in accordance with prevailing guidance related to social distancing if applicable).

 

Please visit the Science Fair webpage (https://www.driscollpto.org/science-fair) for more information and for signup details. The registration fee is $10 per student, with scholarships available to defray this cost for families in financial need. Participants are asked to please sign up by Wednesday April 27th, 2022.


(Note as well that, exceptionally this year, the Driscoll Science Fair will not serve as a qualifying event for the regional or state science fairs. Due to the pandemic, these fairs have been scheduled as online-only events and will be held prior to our school fair. Judging will nevertheless be conducted and prizes will be awarded by grade level on April 30th).

 

We look forward to seeing many interesting and creative projects from our brilliant young Driscoll scientists!

Family Giving Campaign Update

Thanks to everyone who has already donated to this year’s Family Giving Campaign! We have currently raised $5,310 towards our goal of $30,000. We are also aiming for 100% of Driscoll families to participate, so please donate whatever you can today. You can give via Venmo @DriscollPTO, donate via PayPal, or send a check in to your classroom teacher.

We also want to announce some fun incentives that we have put together to celebrate this year’s Family Giving Campaign! At every $5,000 level, we will be choosing a student at random for a unique in-school experience; at every $10,000 level, we will earn a school-wide celebration that everyone can enjoy together.

At $5,000: Homework Pass for a student – ACHIEVED!
At $10,000: School-wide Pajama Day
At $15,000: A student can choose a book to be donated to the Driscoll Library in their name
At $20,000: Evening Zoom Bedtime Story for the entire school: Read by Mr. Youkilis, Ms. Bartley, and Ms. Lyons
At $25,000: A student can shadow a school administrator (Principal, Assistant Principal) for part of the day
At $30,000: Teacher Appreciation Level: Bring in a Food Truck for all Driscoll Educators
(Stretch Goal) At $35,000: Private Lunch for a student and their favorite teacher


Please note that for the $5,000 level student prizes, we will be choosing students at random from the entire student population. It will not be limited to families who have already made a donation to the Family Giving Campaign. We understand that every family’s ability to give is different. Every donation makes a difference.

As you can see, we have actually already achieved our first incentive level! We are very excited to announce Katerina K. in 4R as the winner of a Homework Pass. Next up is a school-wide Pajama Day!

The Family Giving Campaign is Back!

The Driscoll PTO Family Giving Campaign raises money each year to cover teacher grants, classroom materials, guest speakers, and community events (e.g. Spring Fair, Science Solstice, Arts Equinox) that fall outside the school budget.

Our fundraising goal for this school year is $30,000, with a suggested donation of $100 per student. Our goal is for 100% of Driscoll families to participate in the Family Giving Campaign. Donations in any amount are welcome and appreciated!

DONATE TODAY! You can give via Venmo @DriscollPTO, or donate via PayPal. 


All contributions to the Driscoll PTO are tax-deductible and will be acknowledged with a receipt for tax purposes. Our tax ID is 04-3500659. Please also consider using your employer’s matching grant program. For more information, please email driscollgiving@gmail.com.

Driscoll School Council Election: The Results Are In!

Yesterday was the deadline to vote in the election for parent representatives on the Driscoll School Council. Now the votes have been counted, and the four new parent representatives are:

C. Scott Ananian
Karina Caban
Jonathan Golden
Nicole McClelland

We want to give our sincere thanks to all five of the candidates, and extend our best wishes to Andrew Feldman. It was an overwhelmingly strong field, and any of the candidates would have made outstanding contributions to the School Council.

We also want to extend our gratitude to outgoing parent representatives Rich Day, Dan Deutsch, Patricia Salic, and Amandeep Singh for their two years of service on the Council. The last two years have been incredibly challenging for our community, and your continued dedication to our students was more important than ever.

Finally, we want to thank all the members of the Driscoll community who voted in the election. It is truly a sign of the strength of our community, and it is so wonderful to see the enthusiasm on display for our children's school experience.

It's Time to Vote for School Council!

It is time to vote for your representatives on the Driscoll School Council!

This year we have five candidates in the election for parent representatives on the Driscoll School Council.  As a reminder, the school council meets regularly with the school administration and teachers to shape school policies and programs, identify the needs of students, and review the school budget. This year we are looking to fill all four parent representatives for two-year terms.  Below, you can find some brief biographical information provided by each of the candidates.

The election will run through the end of school (1:40 PM) on Friday, January 14, 2022.  You may vote for up to four candidates.  Each parent/guardian is entitled to one ballot entry.

Ballots will be passed out to teachers to include in student take-home folders.  If you would like a paper copy mailed to you as well, please call the school at (617) 879-4250.  You may send your ballots in with your student, or email your vote to driscollpto@gmail.com. You may also mail your ballot to: Driscoll School, ATTN: David Youkilis, 64 Westbourne Terrace, Brookline, MA 02446.

 If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Youkilis at 617-879-4250 or david_youkilis@psbma.org, or the Driscoll PTO at driscollpto@gmail.com. Thank you to these five fine candidates for their participation and willingness to serve!

C. Scott Ananian: C. Scott Ananian is parent of a Driscoll 3rd grader and 1st grader, both of whom attend the Driscoll Extended Day Program. Scott is a Brookline Town Meeting member, member of the Brookline Advisory Committee, was treasurer for the Campaign for Driscoll/Build Brookline's Future, and is a software developer for the Wikimedia Foundation, which is the custodian of Wikipedia and other collaboratively-edited educational projects. Scott received his PhD from MIT in 2007 and has spent over a decade working on robust and reliable systems to allow kids to discover, share, and learn.

Karina Caban: Karina Caban is a high achiever who is currently enrolled at CSU where she is pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Addiction Services. Through workplace experience, she has gained crucial knowledge, skills, and personal attributes that help inspire and shape her mission of engaging, advocating and serving others.

Karina currently works for the Department of Mental Health as the Complaint Officer managing the review, assignment, and investigation of the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital complaints. In her role, she collaborates with the Human Rights Officer to identify and investigate human rights violations and abuses. Prior to joining the Department of Mental Health Karina was the Program Manager for the Mayor’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities. In her role, Karina helped inspire and shape the Commission’s mission of engaging, advocating and serving the residents of Boston with disabilities. Karina was also the Operations Coordinator in the Homeless and Recovery Services Bureau at the Boston Public Health Commission that is governed by a seven-member board of health appointed by the Mayor of Boston to protect, preserve, and promote the health and well-being of all Boston residents, particularly those who are most vulnerable.

Karina has a passion for working and caring for the underserved. As a METCO student mom being an effective advocate, is of top priority presenting information and making requests in a focused way will assure that our children have access to necessary services that may not be available unless we request them, point out their importance, then actively work to get them.

In her spare time, Karina enjoys spending quality time with her 5-Year old daughter, baking, getting crafty, or watching a movie.

Andrew Feldman: Hello! My name is Andrew Feldman, and I am the proud stepdad to Grace, a 6th grader, and Micah, a 4th grader. We live very close to Driscoll, and since the pandemic, I have been fortunate enough to be able to walk my kids to school each morning and then to explore the surrounding neighborhood on foot. In fact, this year, I’ve walked 3,000 miles all around Brookline and Boston. I think it has truly allowed me to learn the area and community.

I grew up in New York and moved to Boston in 2009 to pursue a career in financial consulting. I met my partner, Jordanna, in 2015 through a local fitness group called November Project, and I officially moved to Brookline in 2018. 

The opportunity to lend my professional skills in financial analytics (budgeting and corporate financial planning), and more, in service of the school and its fabulous community is too good to pass up. Please consider voting for me as a parent representative for the Driscoll School Council; it would be a privilege to contribute back to a community that has given me so much.

Jonathan Golden: My name is Jonathan Golden and I am a parent of a 2nd grader in 2S.  As a high school history teacher at Gann Academy in Waltham for over 20 years, I have held a range of strategic leadership positions including History Department Chair, Director of Academic Operations, and Assistant Head of School.  My administrative duties included the design of professional development, day to day operations of the school, mentoring of new teachers, and close cooperation with the facilities staff.

I am a graduate of Princeton University with a PhD from Brandeis University.  I serve as a Brookline Town Meeting Member for Precinct 11 and I am a member of the Community Engagement Committee for Brookline’s Commission for Diversity Inclusion and Community Relations.  I am a board member of Brookline Interactive Group and have had experience on a variety of non-profit boards.

I am excited by the possibility of serving on the Driscoll School Council to help develop and support the School Improvement Plan and the transition to a new building.  Drawing on my professional experience, non-profit work, and public service, I would welcome the opportunity to help the wonderful Driscoll School community progress from strength to strength.

Thank you for your consideration.

Nicole McClelland: I'm Nicole McClelland, parent of a Driscoll first-grader and long-time resident of the Corey Hill neighborhood. I live by the sledding side of Corey Hill with my husband and daughter.

I'm an active volunteer in Brookline town government and have served as a Town Meeting Member for Precinct 11 since 2016. I was proud to be a part of the core campaign team for the successful Driscoll override campaign in 2019. I also serve on the Brookline Commission for Women.

In our neighborhood, I help co-lead the Corey Hill Neighborhood Association, and have been glad to join together with neighbors and community members recently to form the Driscoll Area Safety Team, which is focused on making the roadways and sidewalks in our school zone safer for all, especially Driscoll students, pedestrians and bikers.

My applicable professional background in publishing and licensing management includes experience with budgets, long-term planning, and operations. More importantly, I love the Driscoll community, and hope to join the School Council as part of a team of people working to support our students and school administration, and in making Driscoll the best it can be.

Winter Session of DASA Cancelled

After much discussion with both Principal Youkilis and Nurse Dewing, the Driscoll PTO has decided to cancel the Winter Session of Driscoll After-School Activities (DASA).

This was not an easy decision for us to make, or one we made lightly.  While there were no issues during the Fall Session of DASA, we find ourselves faced with a different set of circumstances now.  COVID numbers are rapidly rising, with the highly contagious Omicron variant spreading across the country.  We are expecting those numbers to continue to rise in the weeks to come as a result of people traveling for the holidays.

We want to make it clear that our decision to cancel DASA does not indicate a lack of faith in the safety of our students at school.  Social distancing, mask wearing, and other safety precautions have been working, and will continue to work in the weeks to come.  However, as an after-school program, DASA has some important differences.  DASA classes include children from different grades, which means a positive case could affect multiple classes.  DASA students who are identified as a “close contact” are also not eligible for the “Test to Stay” program, which means than any unvaccinated students might need to quarantine at home for upwards of a week.  Our priority has always been keeping our students in school for their learning hours during the school day.

Thank you for your understanding.  We are still hoping that we will be able to bring back DASA for the Spring Session, although we will wait until later in the year to make a final decision.  Refunds will be issued over the next week or two, although we do ask for some patience. 

Buy Driscoll Merchandise!

Have you noticed an increase in people wearing Driscoll hooded sweatshirts recently?  Are you interested in buying a Driscoll hat now that the weather is getting colder?

Starting at this year’s Fall Fling Family Dance, the Driscoll PTO has begun selling merchandise as another way to raise money for PTO programming.  In previous years, Driscoll merchandise has been sold on a very limited basis as a way of raising money for 8th grade fundraisers.  However, we have heard from many of our families that they would like a year-round way to purchase Driscoll clothing, and have been working to find a high-quality vendor to make this possible.

This doesn’t mean that the 8th grade will no longer have the option to sell merchandise for their fundraisers as well!  Keep an eye out for more “limited edition” items, like Class of 2022 or student designed logos, as well as special items, such as pajama pants.

If you are interested in purchasing any Driscoll merchandise, you can email your order to driscollptomerch@gmail.com.  Here is a list of what is currently on sale:

-        Hooded Sweatshirts, in red or gray: Adult ($35), Youth ($30)

-        Baseball shirts: Adult ($15), Youth ($15)

-        Sweatpants: Youth ($28)

-        Hats: $20

-        Water Bottles: Steel ($20), Plastic ($15)

DASA Returns!

Registration for DASA'S FALL SESSION opens
Thursday, September 9th at noon!

After needing to put a hold on the program last year due to COVID-19, we are happy to bring back Driscoll After School Activities (DASA) this fall, starting September 30th. There have been some changes in schedule, so please check our listings on the website driscollafterschool.weebly.com and discuss options with your child!


CLASSES include 3D Printing, Dance, Knitting, Minecraft, PuddleStompers, Tae Kwon Do and Yoga!


IMPORTANT TIPS!
1. If you have not done so, create your FamilyID account now. We strongly suggest you create an account before registration day to avoid missing out.

2.Set an alarm. Classes fill within minutes. Some of our classes are extremely popular, and we will have numerous parents trying to register simultaneously for the same spots. If you have filled out all the appropriate information, your registration should go through without a hitch. It does for 99% of registrants. If your registration is stalling, you may be stuck in a queue. START OVER FROM THE BEGINNING. Registration is done only when you press pay button.

Good luck!

DASA website:
driscollafterschool.weebly.com