^{August 2019}

^{The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.}

^Socrates

^{Dear Parents/Guardians:}

^{Welcome Back!  What an amazing, warm summer we have had to enjoy.  The summer is a great opportunity to relax, rejuvenate, and prepare for a great school year. The staff at Clark-Wilkins is abuzz in preparation for opening day and very excited to welcome you and your child(ren) back. As I write this letter, I am struck by how fast the summer went and how quickly I have acclimated to my new surroundings.  I already feel at home at Clark-Wilkins and in Amherst.  Everyone has been so warm and inviting.}

^{Over the summer staff participated in a variety of trainings offered throughout the district. For the past two days, all staff engaged in professional development workshops to promote continued development and refinement of their practice and instruction. As a staff, we read Tom Rath’s book, Strengths Finder 2, and shared our strengths.  There were powerful conversations about using our strengths to boost personal performance and to enhance the successes of students, staff, and the school community. These conversations helped staff come together in a positive way to appreciate the value of their strengths and benefits to school culture.}

^{As a new team member of Clark-Wilkins, I would like to share a little bit about myself. I am super excited to be part of this wonderful school community. My number one strength is positivity.  In his book, Tom Rath characterizes this strength by saying, “…quick with a smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation.  Somehow, you can’t quite escape your conviction that it is good to be alive, that work can be fun, and that no matter what the setbacks, one must never lose one’s sense of humor.  Though you see the good in virtually every situation, you still recognize challenges, and communicate the reason for your optimism.” With this strength, a goal of mine will be to elevate and strengthen the positive culture for students and staff in order for us to be our best.}

^{As we welcome the start of a new school year, there will be some things we will need to work out together…I just ask for a little patience and support, especially this fall.  Some things may not be the same as they have been in the past and I believe that this is part of the change process.  Please know that the staff and I will always fall back on decisions and structures based on what we believe are best for kids.  With this philosophy, I feel we are always on the right path to enhancing a positive, and student-centered school community.}

^{I look forward to getting to know you and your child(ren) this year.  I believe that the changes will make us a stronger school community.  I hope to meet many of you during the PTA Ice Cream Social on September 9th from 4:30-6:30.   It’s going to be a great year!}

^Sincerely,

^{Anna Parrill}

^{Principal Clark-Wilkins}

^{PTA Meeting!}

^{You're invited to the First PTA General Meeting on this Tuesday (9/24) at 7pm in the Wilkins library! Meet the school principals, hear about the plans for the year, vote on the budget (members vote), and mingle with other parents. This is also a great chance for room parents and lunch volunteers to learn more! Free childcare is available- just visit the "store" at Membership Toolkit to sign up.} 

^{Join the PTA!}

^{NOW is the best time to join the PTA! The PTA can't send you communications unless you join- don't miss out. Help us surpass our 300 members from last year! Follow this link if you're ready or see detailed directions below. https://amherstnhpta.membershiptoolkit.com} 

^{Fall Fun Run Fundraiser!}

^{Parents and Families—this year’s main fall fundraiser is the Clark-Wilkins Fun Run! It’s a two-week program that kicks off with a Pep Rally on October 16th 2019 where students will show off their Clark-Wilkins spirit wear or colors. Families will then gather pledges for every lap your student runs (30-35 laps) at the Clark-Wilkins Fun Run, which will happen on October 24th 2019. This year our goal is to raise $20,000 for an OUTDOOR CLASSROOM at CLARK AND a CLIMBING WALL at WILKINS, and we need your help! If we reach our goal, Mrs. Parrill will get SLIMED big time! We’ve asked the experts at Booster to power our fundraiser to make it easier, more profitable, and more fun.}

^{Students will also experience an amazing character theme, MINDSPARK: WILD WEST! Booster’s most exciting theme yet combines S.T.E.A.M. skills (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) with character-building. While they're teaming up with the MindSpark Kids to save Dr. Shock, our students will learn five character traits that will help strengthen themselves and our world.}

^{Donations will go toward an OUTDOOR CLASSROOM at CLARK and a CLIMBING WALL at WILKINS, along with regular awesome PTA programming! So please help our school by getting pledges from family and friends and entering them on FUNRUN.COM. Also, all families are invited to come out and cheer on our students at the Clark-Wilkins Fun Run. Additional details will be coming home soon! Thanks so much for your support!}

^{Spirit Wear!}

^{Get your spirit wear for the PEP RALLY! Orders are due Sunday, 9/22. All orders can be placed online at the following link:}

^{https://varsiteeink.tuosystems.com/stores/cw19}

^{To see item sizing in person, please visit Varsitee Ink on 101A in Amherst.} 

^{Join Us!}

^{We invite you to join the Amherst PTA online through Membership Toolkit. Upon registration, you may pay membership dues online, sign-up to volunteer (room parents, events and more), and stay informed of all Amherst PTA sponsored events throughout the school year.} 

^{Creating your PTA account online is easy!}

^{Visit Membership Toolkit}

^{Click on the Register/Login button} 

^{Select "Create Account", and fill in the requested information.}

^{Click "verify my email", and then check your email for a link to complete the process. 
Once you have verified your email address, log back in and complete your profile and directory publish preferences.}

^{Updated calendar and lots of information is available at www.amherstnhpta.org.} 

^{Email is the best way to contact the PTA Board- amherstptanh@gmail.com.}