Note from Jamie Norton:  This was sent to us via email this morning.

 

The Somerville Public
Schools asks for your help.  Our largest elementary school, the East
Somerville Community School, was significantly damaged in a
3-alarm fire early Sunday morning, December 9^th.  We are
striving to re-establish the high quality and vibrant educational process in three
alternate locations sometime during the week of Dec.17^th.

We need help to make
35 alternate classrooms and 585 students ready for learning and teaching.
There are five ways you can help:

1.  Make a cash
donation to the Somerville Public Schools to support the acquisition of
non-essential academic instructional resources for teachers – items such
as bulletin boards, storytelling supplies, and math manipulatives are needed.
Donations of any amount are welcome, and may be sent to the Somerville Public
Schools in care of Pat Durette, Director of Finance,
181 Washington Street , Somerville
MA 02143 .
Please put ‚ÄúESCS Fire Response‚Äù in the check memo line. 

2.  Send new or
gently used instructional materials and tools for teachers to use.  A wish
list is attached, along with instructions for shipping donations of material
supplies.

3.  Adopt a classroom or a
student and provide age-appropriate school supply goodie bags for
students.  This project being undertaken by the Parent Teacher Association
under the fantastic leadership
of Louise Weiand, Sue Leone and Christine Bissette, will ensure every
East Somerville
Community School
student has the basic supplies needed for learning when they restart
school.  Instructions for adopting a classroom or a student are attached.

4.  Can‚Äôt
create goodie bags for students, but want to help students?  Consider
donating $25 to the PTA to adopt a student, or $550 to adopt a class.
Checks made out to the Somerville PTA may be sent to Louise Weiand, PTA Council
President, 10 Otis Street ,
Somerville MA
02145 .  Please put ‚ÄúESCS
Fire Response” in the check memo line.

5.  Volunteers
are needed to make photocopies for teachers and to help set up teacher
classrooms on Monday 12/17 or Tuesday, 12/18.  If you can volunteer time beginning at 10:00 AM,
please contact Gretchen Kinder at 617-625-6600 x6013 or gkinder@k12.somerville.ma.us.

On behalf of the East
Somerville Community School Principal Dr. Holly Hatch, Superintendent
Pierantozzi, and the
entire community THANK YOU! 

Together
we can quickly restore this vibrant school community where Every Student Can
Succeed!

-gk-
Gretchen Kinder
Coordinator of
Research & Development, Public Information and Grants
Somerville Public
Schools
617-625-6600 x6013
gkinder@k12.somerville.ma.us