News & Events
Cultural Arts - How Do Waves Transmit Information?
On January 14th, The 4th graders learned about waves, particularly how sound waves travel and make different sounds.
How Do Waves Transmit Information?
On January 14th, The 4th graders learned about waves, particularly how sound waves travel and make different sounds. The students first started by banging on an empty drum. Dr. Dave then introduced the various sounds that occur when a drum or other object (i.e. a soda bottle in this case) are filled with different amounts of water. The Wampanoags (and many other cultures) used these concepts when building water drums. The students learned that this has to do with the length (wavelength), height (amplitude) and speed (frequency) of the traveling waves. They got to visualize waves by doing a human wave and moving a slinky at different speeds.
The students also learned how sound waves travel through our vocal cords to create different letter sounds. And they also learned the importance of nasal passages when making sounds (try to hum with your nose blocked...tricky!) Finally, the students got a home handout to try measuring the speed of light with chocolate in a microwave.
Thanks as always for teaching our kids about science, Dr. Dave! And thanks to all of you for your continued support, which allows us to host these wonderful Cultural Arts and STEM programs for our students!
2nd Grade - What is dry ice, and what can we use it for?
On Monday, December 2nd Dr. Dave Hiller visited the 2nd Grade for a STEM program about Dry Ice!
On Monday, December 2nd Dr. Dave Hiller visited the 2nd Grade for a STEM program about Dry Ice! Dr. Hiller explained the properties of dry ice, and how it is similar to and different from conventional ice. Dry ice is extremely cold, and it turns into gas very quickly! He then combined it with soap to create bubbles. The kids then all got to experiment with dry ice to make their very own soap bubbles. Finally, Dr. Dave combined dry ice with a liquid to make a yummy sorbet! The kids got to try it later in the week.
Nutcracker Performance for 1st Grade
Last Friday, our first graders were treated to a demonstration by the Greater Boston School of Dance of their upcoming production of the Nutcracker.
Last Friday, our first graders were treated to a demonstration by the Greater Boston School of Dance of their upcoming production of the Nutcracker. They learned the story of the Nutcracker and then watched the dancers perform highlights of the show in costume. They even got to learn some dance moves from the Nutcracker! Thank you to the amazing dancers for sharing your talents with us!
If you would like to learn more about the performances and programs offered by the Greater Boston School of Dance, please check out their website at https://www.greaterbostonschoolofdance.com/
Cultural Arts Update - Dr. Dave Hiller
The 3rd graders had a wonderful visit with Dr. Dave Hiller last week, learning about what makes things fall over!
The 3rd graders had a wonderful visit with Dr. Dave Hiller last week, learning about what makes things fall over. Every object has multiple forces acting on it, and they explored how to make those forces all balance out (and what happens when they don't). The kids used their own bodies and tried to "balance" against the wall. They made paper butterflies and taped washers on the back to show that by adding equal weight, you can balance a piece of paper on your finger without it falling to the ground. They also used clothespins and pipe cleaners to create objects that balanced on the end of chopsticks!
We appreciate Dr. Hiller visiting our 3rd grade students last week! And thank all of you for your support, which allows us to continue to bring these Cultural Arts and STEM programs to our students!
BOOK FAIR AND PANCAKE BREAKFAST
Thank you to everyone who came out to our Fall Book Fair and Pancake Breakfast!
Thank you to everyone who came out to our Fall Book Fair and Pancake Breakfast! We especially would like to thank the Book Fair Chairs - Rachel Valente, Allison Giue and Jenna Story as well as Pancake Breakfast Chairs Olivia Peters and Tara Tehan! A huge thank you too to all the parent volunteers who helped out during the Book Fair and who helped set up, cook and clean at the Pancake Breakfast! We appreciate all of your support in helping to put on these wonderful events for our Brown School community!
A special thank you to all of you who purchased books at the Book Fair! Because of the generous purchases from our Brown School families, we were able to purchase $1,934 in new books for Teachers classrooms from their wish lists. We additionally purchased $500 in new books for the library, and every child was offered a free book to take home!
November - December Happenings!
🍕 TOMORROW! Don't cook the day before Thanksgiving! Order lunch or dinner from Nick's Pizza House instead! Mention Brown Elementary when you order, and they will donate 20% back to the PTO.
👚 Our spirit wear pop-up shop is open until December 2! We have several new styles for kids and adults that make great holiday gifts! Pickup for items ordered is December 5 in Natick.
https://johnnythreads.com/collections/brown-school
❄️ Save the date for the Winter Bazaar craft fair - December 9, 10, 12, and 13. We still need lots of donations! Our parent volunteer signup is also now open.
- Item donation signup & Amazon wishlist:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4BAEAB2CA1FACE9-52737599-winter#/
- Volunteer signup:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4BAEAB2CA1FACE9-53535639-2024
- More info about the event on our website: https://www.brownptonatick.org/pto-news/winter-bazaar-2024
🧥 In December, Brown School will host a coat drive in cooperation with a Natick High School senior. The drive benefits Caring Partners, an organization that for 29 years has been collecting coats to help families in need. Please send in any new or gently-used coats or fleeces from December 2-18!
📝 Our next PTO meeting is Tuesday, December 3 at 7pm in the Brown School library. All are welcome! Please join us as we recap our fall programs and discuss what’s coming for 2025! If you can’t join in person please email brownptonatick@gmail.com for the link.
Winter Bazaar
Item donation signup - please send in items to school by December 2
Amazon wish list - please have wish list items delivered by December 2
Each year, Brown School hosts a Winter Bazaar, a craft fair where students can purchase small gifts for their loved ones and discover the joy of giving to others. Students will have the option to shop with their class on Monday, December 9th, Tuesday, December 10th, Thursday, December 12th or Friday, December 13th. Items will be sold for either $0.50 or $1. Financial assistance is available: to learn more, please reach out to afrost@natickps.org or slittle@natickps.org.
Donations of items are needed to help make our Winter Bazaar a success for our kids! To donate items, please send in 25 similar hand-made crafts or small items (no food items please). The donation bin will be located outside the main office door starting on Monday 11/4. Please send in items by Monday, December 2nd.
We also need volunteers the day of the event to help the kids shop!
Multicultural Night Recap
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s Multicultural Night! Over 300 people attended this wonderful showcase of cultures from around the world!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s Multicultural Night! Over 300 people attended this wonderful showcase of cultures from around the world!
Thanks also to everyone who shared food, hosted a cultural table, and/or performed! We were able to collectively learn, share and see different perspectives regarding culture and community.
We would also like to thank Hartman Deetz from the Wampanoag tribe, our sponsor Dates & Olives, and the generous restaurants Café Yafa, Biryaniz & Breadz, and Cinco Chile Taquería for their delicious donations.
Let's continue in this spirit of inclusivity and acceptance, as we all have something to share with our fellow Brown School Bears!
Spirit Wear Pop-Up Shop!
Introducing the new Brown Bear spirit wear holiday pop-up shop!
Introducing the new Brown Bear spirit wear holiday pop-up shop! Featuring new styles and designs for both kids and adults! The shop will be open from 11/7 until December 2nd, with pick-up on December 5th in Natick.
https://johnnythreads.com/collections/brown-school
Please note: all orders will default to free shipping once you check out. Shipping is free for pick-up items.
NSC Food Drive Update - Thank You!
Thank you SO much to everyone who donated items for the Brown School Food Drive to benefit the Natick Service Council (NSC). We collected over 1,800 items!
Thank you SO much to everyone who donated items for the Brown School Food Drive to benefit the Natick Service Council (NSC). We collected over 1,800 items!! We can’t thank you enough for your generosity as we work to help our neighbors in need! Awesome job, Brown Bears!
Cultural Arts Update - Ball in the House
Earlier last month, each grade got to experience the magic of a cappella singing!
Earlier last month, each grade got to experience the magic of a cappella singing!
Ball in the House is an R&B/Soul/Pop a cappella group based out of Boston, MA, whose high energy shows have audiences singing, dancing, even beatboxing along! Our students were clapping and dancing to their amazing performance! Ask them what their favorite song was!
With their extensive tour schedule (averaging 200 shows a year), Ball in the House has performed everywhere - from theaters to performing arts centers, fairs & festivals, to opening for some of the biggest acts in the world, such as The Beach Boys, The Jonas Brothers, The Temptations, Fantasia, Gladys Knight, Lionel Richie, Jessica Simpson, Blondie, Smokey Robinson, KC & The Sunshine Band, Diamond Rio, Colin Raye, Orleans, and numerous others.
As always, thank you for your support of the PTO, which allows us to bring these cultural arts experiences to our students!
Cultural Arts Update - Dr. David Hiller
We have kicked off our Cultural Arts Programming for the 2024-2025 school year! Our first graders had a visit with Dr. Dave Hiller to learn “Why is the Sky Blue?”
We have kicked off our Cultural Arts Programming for the 2024-2025 school year! Our first graders had a visit with Dr. Dave Hiller to learn “Why is the Sky Blue?”
Dr. Dave Hiller is a scientist with extensive lab training and teaching experience, and is also a Brown Elementary parent to a daughter in 3rd grade! He is passionate about communicating science to others, and bringing programs in math and science to elementary students. We look forward to his future visits for our other grades!
This program demonstrated that white light is made up of many colors, and that we can mix and separate those colors of light. The students first visualized light bending by seeing how a straw appears when it is immersed in water. They then poured milk into water to replicate the effect of the sky on sunlight, and also used flashlights to demonstrate how the sun appears yellow. They also made color wheels to see what happens when colors mix and explored different tools to split light into separate colors.
NSC Food Drive
We are pleased to support the Natick Service Council (NSC) with our annual food drive! NSC is a private non-profit located in town which serves Natick residents in need offering, among other services, their “Heart Healthy” Food Pantry.
This year, we will once again work together as a community to reach a school-wide goal of donating 1,000 items! To donate, **please send in items in your child’s backpack so they can bring them to their classroom.**
Teachers will discuss the importance of giving back in their classrooms, and Principal Cole-Harms will have a fun surprise for the students to celebrate Brown School meeting the food donation goal!
Please donate what you can. Let’s embody the NSC logo of “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” and make this food drive a huge success! Thank you!
MOST NEEDED ITEMS FOR 2024
- TUNA
- CEREAL
- SNACKS
- PROGRESSO SOUPS
- SHAMPOO
- TOOTHPATE & TOOTHBRUSHES
- PASTA
- JAR TOMATO SAUCE
- INSTANT POTATOES
- GOYA SEASONINGS
- BLACK TEA
Movie Night 2024
Such a great turnout for yesterday's movie night!
We were able to stock up on tissues and wipes for the classrooms thanks to your donations.
Teacher Timesavers
Come into the front office anytime between 9am-2:30pm and help photocopy, laminate, staple, etc.
Do you have 30 minutes to help our teachers and staff? This is a wonderful way to give additional support to our teachers and staff and help them get their classrooms ready! (Especially leading up to Open House next week!)
Come into the front office anytime between 9 am-2:30pm and help photocopy, laminate, staple, etc. (If you don’t know how to use the laminator you can be trained!)
Thanks for considering! This is a very flexible, very concrete way to help our teachers and staff!
Welcome Back Teacher Appreciation Breakfast!
Please help us celebrate our AMAZING TEACHERS & STAFF at Brown School with a delicious breakfast to kickoff the school year!
Monday, September 23 - Please help us celebrate our AMAZING TEACHERS & STAFF at Brown School with a delicious breakfast to kickoff the school year! Donations and Volunteers are needed! Please sign up to donate a baked good or store-bought item! No time to shop? We will also gladly accept Venmo donations to buy treats!
Coming up: PTO Meeting and Coffee and Conversation
Tonight, 9/10, we will hold our first PTO meeting of the year — 7-8pm in the library. If you would like to join remotely, please email us for the link. All are welcome!
The following morning, 9/11, join Principal Cole Harms in the cafeteria for coffee and conversation — 9-9:30am.
Wicked Fun Run is coming up!
Did you hear?! Brown is teaming up with Ben Hem for a WICKED good time! SAVE THE DATE! Sunday, 10/27/24 for the Wicked Fun Run and Fall Festival!
Do you/your company want to be a sponsor or advertise along the race route? DM us here or email brownptonatick@gmail.com for more info! You can also fill out the form here.
We are excited for this fun fall event! More Info Coming Soon, and Registration will open in 3 WEEKS! Get ready to have a WICKED FUN TIME!
Kindergarten Playdates!
Come meet some new friends before the start of school at the Brown School playground! The PTO will be there with popsicles & information! Come to one or all!
Our incoming kindergarten playdates are right around the corner!
We will have color-coded name tags by teacher so you spot your new classmates. We also encourage you to wear the color that matches your teacher name below!
Yellow - Ms. Barnes
Blue - Mrs. Krug
Green - Mrs. McGinty
Red - Mrs. Risi
Purple - Mrs. Miller
The dates are as follows, all at the Brown School playground. Come to as many as you like!
- August 7th at 5pm
- August 17th at 10am
- August 20th at 4pm
Meet new friends and our new interim principal! We are looking forward to seeing you all there.
Hello, Incoming Kindergarten Families! We look forward to welcoming your kiddos to Brown Elementary this fall!
We hope you can save the date(s) and join us for a playdate at the Brown School Kindergarten playground! It’s a great way to meet other incoming Kindergarteners and families.
We will have 3 different dates and times. We hope you can join us for one or all!
August 7th at 5pm
August 17th at 10am
August 20th at 4pm
Come meet some new friends before the start of school at the Brown School playground! The PTO will be there with popsicles & information! Come to one or all!
Third Annual Family Science Night
Kids (and adults) will have the opportunity to try a variety of hands-on science activities covering a range of topics from food to rockets to sports. Open to all curious minds!
We hope you're having a great summer so far! Keep your calendars open for the 3rd Natick Family Science Night, co-hosted by Stempogo and the Brown Elementary PTO and supported by funding from the Natick Cultural Council. Kids (and adults) will have the opportunity to try a variety of hands-on science activities covering a range of topics from food to rockets to sports. Open to all curious minds!
Third Annual Family Science Night
Thursday, July 25 at 5pm on the Natick Common
https://fb.me/e/4q2vGmqiy