Family Newsletter Week of January 30, 2026

Dear Brackett Families,

Hope everyone is staying safe and warm! The PTO is hosting a Coffee in the Cafeteria starting at drop off at 8am tomorrow. I hope many of you can stop by.

I want to say thank you for everyone’s thoughtfulness as we navigate the enormous piles of snow. In the mornings, it has been exceptionally helpful that cars are parking ONLY on the park side of Eastern Avenue. This allows traffic to flow quickly.

I had some questions about the cut out in front of the school. It is ok to pull into this area for a quick drop off. In the mornings, we need to have this cut out cleared by the time the bus arrives for our Gibbs students. In the afternoon, this area needs to be clear for afterschool transportation.

One final thing … Just recently, I found out that our crossing guard, Ms. Barbara Kelley, will be moving her post to a less windy spot. Her last day with us will be this coming Monday. We plan to celebrate her at school on Monday afternoon. If your family would like to make a card for her, that would be an appropriate thank you.

Best,

Dr. Vice

Author Visit – February 6
Celebrate Lunar New Year
February Vacation Lunch Program
Parent Workshops

All previous family communication can be accessed in the News and Announcements on the district website.

APS 2026-2027 NEW Student Registration Information (for NEW students only; current students do not need to register)

Author Visit – February 6

Guess who's coming to Brackett on February 6th? None other than New York Times bestselling author Judd Winick, here to dazzle us with Hilo Presents: The Mighty!

Want your very own signed treasure? use this link: https://jwinickbrackett.eventbrite.com

But hurry—orders close on Wednesday, February 4

Celebrate Lunar New Year

As we welcome the Lunar New Year, the Chinese American Association of Arlington is hosting a free celebration event for the local community, and we would be honored to include families from your school.

Event Details:
Date: Saturday, February 14th, 2026
Time: 4-8pm
Location: Arlington High School

This family-friendly event will include activities suitable for children, live performances, traditional food available for purchase, and opportunities for families to connect and celebrate the Lunar New Year together. All students, parents, siblings, and family members are warmly welcome.

February Vacation Lunch Program

Sign ups for the Arlington EATS February Vacation Lunch Program are now open!

You are invited to make an appointment to shop at our market for free for fruits and vegetables, milk, snacks, and other kid friendly foods during these times. Vacation shopping hours are available to any family with children in Arlington schools who would like extra food support over the break. Use this form to sign up for the program! The Arlington EATS Market will be open for shopping for fresh kid-friendly groceries at Arlington EATS Market, 117 Broadway, on Thursday 2/12 from 4pm to 6:30pm and Friday 2/13 from 9am to 11am.

Notes: there will be no pre-packed bags this year, sign up times are to shop for free groceries at our market to give you more choice in what you would like! If you are a regular EATS Market shopper, you can shop at the market in addition to the vacation lunch shopping time that week.

Parenting Workshops

SPACE Workshops for Parents/Caregivers - The APS district social work team is offering Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) workshops for any parents/caregivers who would like to learn more about supporting their children who experience anxiety. All are welcome, please see this flyer to learn more and register for the workshops.

FREE Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Training - This one-day training is FREE and open to all Arlington community members and employees and is being offered multiple times this spring. Please see this flyer for more details and to learn how to register!