What a fun and busy weekend it was in Maplewood! With the MEND Green Bean Gala on Friday Night to the Art Walk on Sunday, there wasn’t a dull moment in town. The Green Bean Gala is a Maplewood staple. Organized by many members of both the Tuscan and wider Maplewood communities, it aims to raise money to help fight hunger locally (you can always donate here). And the awesome Art Walk saw hundreds of local artists selling their masterpieces. What a weekend it was! But strap in, this is an important week, so read on folks!

Welcome to the Team!

At the last PTA meeting, we voted in our new VP!!

Amanda Durett Cercone is a long-time Tuscan parent, first-time PTA board member. After moving to Maplewood in 2016, she joined the Tuscan community with her husband and two children, a recent Tuscan alumni/current 6th grader at MMS and a current 2nd grader. She has been a Class Coordinator several times and is also known around the Tuscan community for her involvement in the Tuscan Show.

A warm welcome to Amanda! If you see her around the school, be sure to give her a high five or a hug (are we hugging again?).

Half time

This week we have two half days: Tuesday October 11 (Staff Professional Development day) and Thursday October 13 (BTS Night, baby). Dismissal is at 12:45pm on both days. If your TT attends the Y Aftercare, please be sure to pack them a lunch!

ALSO, THIS IS IMPORTANT! If you are attending BTS night, you MUST 10000000% be masked up. And have fun. That is all.

I can build a rainbow...

… well, I can’t, but Mr. Dean, our beloved Art Teacher, can! Each month, SOMSD tasks an art department at one of the SOMA schools to curate artwork for the central office walls. This month it was our turn, and Mr. Dean delivered BIG. The theme was ‘Art Makes Us Think Big’ and right now our TT’s artwork is on display.

Just say NO to bullying

This week is Anti-Bullying week, and every day has a different theme. Check it out!

Monday: World Day of Bullying Prevention ( Wear blue as the official color for the World Day of Bullying Prevention!)

Tuesday: H.E.R.O Day (Help Everyone Respect Others by dressing as your favorite superhero!)

Wednesday: Workout Wednesday (Wear workout gear to show that we can “work out” our problems with kindness!)

Thursday: Dare To Be Different (Wear a mix n match outfit to show how you can dare to be different!)

Friday: Free Spirit Friday (Dress to show something you support or care about (like your school, an organization, or sports team!)

Gettin' crafty with it

From October 12 Maplewood is holding a variety of crafting classes for kids of many ages. Register here for any of the below classes.

CRAFT IT! PreK - K, Tues & Thurs 10am - 11am at DeHart Community Center

CRAFTING SATURDAYS at DeHart Community Center

COME ON & CRAFT! PreK - K, 9am - 10am

READY, SET, CRAFT! Grades 1 & 2, 10:15am - 11:15am

CRAFT CENTRAL! Grades 3 - 5, 11:30am - 12:30pm

ART RESIDENCY & PORTFOLIO PLANNING! Grades 9 - 12, Wednesdays 4pm - 6pm at 1978 Arts Center

SEPAC SOMA: Hear from the District

This meeting will be virtual. Susie Budine, Assistant Superintendent of Special Services, will share an overview of Special Education programs, classes and services in our district on Monday October 17 at 7:30pm. SEPAC is the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee for SOMSD. Please visit sepacsoma.org to learn more and sign up for meeting notices.

Join us and help us!

Please join the PTA - we’d love to have you. Instructions for how to sign up can be found here, but even if you don’t join the PTA (please, please join!), it’s still important to sign up for an account on our new site so that you can have access to information you’ll need.

And finally…

Have a story idea? Know someone who is doing something wonderful? Want to talk about your own initiatives helping people in the area? Get in touch! TuscanSchoolPTA@gmail.com

SUBJECT: PTA Newsletter 10/9