[CCHS] Chit-Chat, Friday, April 15

[Chit-Chat]

CHIT-CHAT

A weekly publication of the CCHS Parents Association
Friday, April 15
2004-05 Edition

------------ HOW TO POST TO THE CHIT-CHAT ---------
Send your notice by email to: cchschitchat at comcast.net. The deadline is:
THURSDAYS at NOON. Please, NO PHONE CALLS. Items must be submitted in
writing, must be sent by NOON on THURSDAY, must be school related, and are
subject to editing. Late submissions and submissions by phone will not be
accepted.
Thanks,
Anne Wagner, ed.
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NEXT WEEK'S DATES:

Monday, April 18 through Friday, April 22
     Vacation Week

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+++++ RAPE AGGRESSION DEFENSE COURSE +++++

The Concord Police Department and the Concord Rotary will be
sponsoring RAD, Rape Aggression Defense systems, for females.
RAD is a realistic self-defense program teaching risk reduction
and avoidance strategies, including hands-on defense training.
RAD is not a martial arts program. This is a four-week course
using simple and easy to learn techniques, providing an effective
and proven method of self-defense. RAD classes will be held
Wednesday evenings, May 4, 11, 18, 25. Class times are 6:30
to 8:45 p.m. (approximately). Classes will be held at the old Alcott
school gymnasium, currently Thoreau school. High School females
are encouraged to participate. Class size is limited. To register or for
more information, contact Detective Scott Camilleri at 978-318-3414
or scamilleri at concordnet.org   

+++++ VACATION WEEK CRAFT WORKSHOPS +++++

The Concord Free Public Library is hosting a series of craft workshops
inspired by the book JOHNNY TREMAIN by Esther Forbes as part of
the On the Same Page: Concord Reads program in April. The
workshops are designed for students in the fifth grade and above and
require pre-registration, as space is limited. Join local artisans as
they teach their craft in the style and materials that were typical of
revolutionary times. The workshops are:  
EARLY AMERICAN PIECING:  Thursday, April 21, from 3 to 5 p.m. -- Learn
the Early American skill of piecing with Quilter's Way instructor  and 
quilter
Ellen Fisher. Participants will make a four-square hand pillow with 
colonial
reproduction fabrics. Recommended for ages 10 and up.
COLONIAL POTTERY: Friday, April 22, 2 p.m.
Discover the artistry of pottery-making with local artist Elizabeth Parise  
in a hands-on workshop. Participants will decorate pottery with colonial 
motifs.
Recommended for ages 12 and up.
METALSMITHING:  Saturday, April 23, at 2 p.m.   
Join jewelry designer Deborah Richardson as she demonstrates forging,
stamping, and soldering metal sheets into ornamental wear. Discover the
skill of working with silver, which was chronicled in the adventures of
Johnny Tremain, a young silversmith apprentice during the days before the
American Revolution. Participants will make an ornamental pendant during 
the
hands-on workshop. Meet in the Children's Room. Recommended for ages
12 and up.
To register for these craft workshops please call 978-318-3358.  Space is
limited, so reserve a spot now. For detailed listing of these and other
programs from On the Same Page: Concord Reads, see the Concord Free Public
Library website at www.concordlibrary.org.

+++++ PREVENTING SUBSTANCE ABUSE +++++

As spring becomes more apparent in the weeks ahead, so too will the
excitement of the end of school. Whether your child is moving on to
middle school or college, parties will mark the occasion, and now is a
good time to think about keeping those passages safe. The Concord Carlisle
Parent Initiative (CCPI) will be sponsoring two important programs in May.
On May 9 from 7:15 to 9:30 p.m. at the CCHS auditorium, in collaboration 
with
the CCHS Parents Association, we will present Teen Drinking in Concord and
Carlisle--What Every Parent Should Know, for those with children in 
eighth grade
and above. For the parents of fifth graders and middle schoolers, we 
will present
Tools for Preventing and Postponing First Use, a panel presentation, on 
May 19
from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Peabody Forum. Both of these talks will provide 
a realistic
view of the current climate of substance abuse in our community, and 
will assist
parents in their response to these issues. For more information about 
either
program or other resources, please refer to our website: www.ccpi.info, 
or email
us at ccpigroup1 at yahoo.com.

+++++ CC UNPLUGGED +++++

The Junior Class is planning an evening of music and laughs and lots of
entertainment on Friday, April 29, at 7:30 in the CCHS cafeteria.
It's called CC Unplugged, and the students are making it their own, and
everyone is invited. Tickets are $10 and will be sold during lunches all
week when they get back from vacation, and will also be sold at the door.
So come enjoy the musical acts and comedy, the talent and energy of CCHS
students.

+++++ CONCORD SPED PAC INFORMATION AND MEETING   +++++

The Concord Special Education Parents Advisory Committee is a positive and
solution oriented committee that has grown to over 150 members. As a 
state-mandated,
systemwide volunteer organization, we serve as a resource and
advisor to parents of children with special needs from preschool to high
school. We work closely with the Concord Public School administration to
identify areas of needs and act in an advisory role to the School Committee
regarding parents' collective issues. Over the past two years, the SPED PAC
played an integral role in the research behind the Concord Education Fund
reading and writing grants. We can help you become an effective advocate 
for your child.
We offer a broad range of information, contacts, networking opportunities,
and presentations by specialists. SPED PAC members share information (books,
tutors, evaluators, etc.) they have found useful in guiding their children's
education. We will help you connect with other parents and professionals
dealing with similar issues. You don't have to do this alone. Visit our 
website
--www.concordspedpac.org--for a list of this year's educational 
presentations, to subscribe to
our email list, to read up on educational issues, to get information on 
local disability conferences,
to learn more about current state and federal laws, and to find your 
school liaison.

The SPED PAC will be holding its last business meeting of the year on 
Tuesday, May 17,
from 9:30 to 11 a.m., in the Ripley Building, conference room 2. The two 
main topics will be
voting on our by-law updates, which will be emailed to members and 
posted on our website for
 review before the meeting, as well as voting for PAC offices. Please 
come and have input into
your organization!

+++++ COMMUNITY CALL TO ACTION +++++

Dr. Paul Farmer, Founder of Partners in Health, and subject of Tracy 
Kidder's book,
Mountains Beyond Mountains, will issue a Community Call to Action, 
Thursday,
May 5, from 8 to 9 p.m. at the CCHS upper gym.  Admission is $20 at the 
door, with
cash or checks payable to Partners in Health. Parking is limited and 
carpooling is
encouraged. The event is co-sponsored by Concord Carlisle Read. Talk. 
Share, and
Lincoln Reads Mountains Beyond Mountains. The mission of Partners in 
Health is to
bring first-class medical care to the poor. Farmer will discuss specific 
ways people can
promote the work of Partners in Health in Haiti, Peru, Siberia, and 
Roxbury.  Tracy
Kidder's portrayal of Farmer in Mountains Beyond Mountains illustrates 
how one person
can make a difference, and that radical change can be achieved in 
situations that seem
insurmountable. Farmer is the recipient of a 1993 John D. and Catherine 
T. MacArthur
Foundation "genius award," among others. The community event will be 
preceded by a
limited-seating, private reception with Dr. Farmer for new donors of 
$1,000 and up. For
reservations, please call Becky Dewey at 978-930-4629 or email 
beeza10 at aol.com.  

+++++ WILLARD VOTE REMINDER +++++

Article 24: Design Funds For a New Willard School will come up for 
voting at Town Meeting on
Tuesday, April 26, at 7 p.m. Babysitting is available at Town Meeting. 
For more information,
visit www.buildwillard.org. Submitted by Build Willard.