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PTSA
Committee News
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MATH CARNIVAL February 1, 2008 6:00-8:00 Pizza, games, and more. Mark
your calendar for a mathnificent night of fun. Volunteers welcome, please
contact Christie Allemand at cwist2@gmail.com or 425-223-5286.
Now
Available - Math Olympiad Prep for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd graders!!
We have an exciting and
challenging new program for your math enthusiasts. Please join us on Friday mornings to learn to compete in a Math
Olympiad-like competition while sharpening your math and logic skills.
Children will compete at or above grade level based on their initial
assessment.
The
program director is David Zook, owner of The Tutoring Club, Bellevue
parent, and coach of the winning Odle Lego Robotics team! Math
Olympiad Prep will meet before school once a week on Friday from 8:00 to
8:55 am. This will be a two
session program: Session 1 will run January 18 - March 28 and
Session 2 will run April 4 - June 13. The cost is $100 per session. You must sign up in advance. You can
access the Registration Form on the Bennett Elementary web site or
look for more information at the kiosk across from the main office. We
invite you to participate in this exciting new program sponsored by Bennett
PTSA.
Social Concerns Committee
THANK YOU! Thanks to so many generous donations, the
Bennett PTSA was able to assist four local families during the Holidays. We
collected and delivered bags of clothing, toys, gift certificates and
vitamins. Items were warmly received and appreciated. Thanks again and have
a super new year!
Congratulations to ALL the Bennett students who participated
in the Reflections Program!!! The following students had entries that were
chosen to represent Bennett at the Council Level. Cecilia Goesling, Talia
Goesling, Gloria Hsieh, Gabriel Neumann, Amelia McDermott, Devon Roth,
Marissa Mincy, Amber Tavener, Briti Bhattacharyya, Althea Poteet, Teresa
Zahn, Po Bodin, Billy Travis, Brad Culp, Austin Ball, Taylor Odom, Nicole
Kennedy, Olivia Coron, Abby Nash, Kelley Gibbs, Zoe Roth, Elinor Doran, and
Srujana Dadi. OH YEAH! HOW ABOUT THAT!
"I Can Make a Difference
By. . ."
Reflections Exhibit
You can enjoy student's works
of art on display at the Crossroads Mall January 15th through the 20th. A
celebration of the artistic talents of Bellevue's youth in the categories
of visual arts, photography, literature, music composition, film/video
production, and dance choreography.
Literature Readings
Enjoy an evening featuring
readings of student's literature entries at the University Bookstore,
Bellevue located at 990 102nd Ave NE, Bellevue Saturday, January 16, 2008
beginning at 7:00 PM.
Reflections Awards Ceremony
Recognizing
entries which received Outstanding Interpretation or Award of Excellence
distinctions, the awards ceremony will take place at Crossroads Mall, Main
Stage, January 20, 2008 from 2:00 - 4:30 PM.
Don't forget to show your school spirit in 2008!
You can print an order form from the Bennett web site
at www.bennettelementary.org and drop it in the office
with payment (checks only made out to Bennett PTSA).
The sweatshirts are priced at cost at $16.00 for youth sizes
and $20.00 for adult sizes.
· Hooded Sweatshirt Style #1: Large Center Emblem,
· Hooded Sweatshirt Style #2: Small 'Pocket' Emblem
· Navy with White Lettering (both styles)
· Available in Youth Sizes (S, M, L) and Adult Sizes (S, M, L, XL)
Questions? Call Chris Douglas, PTSA Volunteer, at
425-603-1718.
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Principal's Post
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By Chris Thomas
Fifth Grade Field trip to Islandwood
In a
few months, our fifth graders will attend IslandWood, a retreat to a 255 acre wooded environment on Bainbridge
Island. This "School in the Woods" will offer our students hands
on investigations and research, study of watersheds, local
environmental communities, and Pacific Northwest flora and fauna.
These experiences are strongly connected
with Bellevue School District and state science guidelines. Beyond these
learning experiences, students will also be learning about concepts related
tosteward-ship in localcommunities.
The time frame of the trip will be March 31-April 3
(three nights and four days).
Accommodations
of food and housing are top-notch, with learning materials and activities.
Regardless if your child is in 5th grade, extra financial support for
this trip is appreciated to cover scholarships.
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From the Office
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Thursday, January
17, 7:00 p.m. (in the Bennett
Gym) - 5th Grade Band Demonstration Concert
This
short concert will highlight student progress in the beginning band.
It will also provide an opportunity to discuss musical expectations
and ask questions. Students should arrive by 6:40. If there are
any questions, please e-mail Gwyn Barkman at barkmang@bsd405.org.
ART ROOM REQUEST
Bennett Parents: We need G rated magazines
for an upcoming collage project. If you have any you'd like to donate
please drop them off in the Art Room. Thanks so much, Gina
Ray, Art Teacher
QUESTIONS IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE??
The Bellevue School District has instituted phone lines that
parents can access for the above languages!
******ATTENDANCE LINE !!!!
456-4801*****
Please use Bennett's new attendance line when reporting your
child's absence. Thanks!!
Bellevue School District Kindergarten Registration
Information 2008 - 2009
Web Site: www.bsd405.org
Kindergarten Registration begins Monday, January 28, 2008. Please
call your neighborhood school for actual registration times.
Kindergarten registration continues at your neighborhood
school through the last day of school (6/19/08) and resumes when the
elementary school offices open in August. (Registering early is encouraged.)
Children must be five years old by August 31, 2008.
Bring birth certificate and social security number*. (*Disclosure of
a student's social security number is voluntary and is used as a student
identification number in the district.)
To locate your neighborhood school, visit our website, click
on "Departments;" then "Transportation Services;" and
then "School Boundary Information" where you can enter your
address. OR, call 425-456-4200.
Open Enrollment 2008
The Open Enrollment period for the 2008-2009 school year
will be January 7 through February 8, 2008. Additional information on
this process will be posted on the Bellevue School District website
(bsd405.org) and will be available on January 2, 2008.
ODLE MIDDLE SCHOOL: One Dynamic
Learning Environment:
Achieving, Caring and Succeeding - 5th
Grade Parent Information Night
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 6:30-8:00 PM
- Odle Middle
School is a National School of Excellence
- Welcome all
5th grade Students and Parents
- Classroom
Displays and Presentations
- Performances
by Band, Choir and Orchestra
- Academy of
Visual & Performing Arts
- Academy of
Science
- PRISM,
Honors, Academic Support, Cascade, Special Education
- Meet Odle
Teachers, Counselors, Students and Parents
For questions, please contact the Main Office: 425-456-6600
Principal: Jerry Schaefer Assistant Principal: Alexa Allman
Bond to Modernize Schools to be on March 11 Ballot
The Bellevue School District
Board of Directors has just authorized a second phase of its school modernizations
with a bond to be placed on the March 11, 2008 ballot. If the bond is approved, the average
annual local school tax rate between 2008 and 2015 - projected at $2.13 per
$1,000 in assessed valuation -- will be 7 cents lower than the actual
average annual tax rate between 2000 and 2007.
The bond would pay for the
rebuilding of Ardmore, Cherry Crest and Spiritridge elementary schools;
improvements to Bellevue and Sammamish high schools that will bring them up
to standards of recent work done at Interlake and Newport; and the
modernization of Tyee, Chinook, and Odle middle schools. Tillicum may also be targeted for
upgrades if escalation of construction costs slows to a lower rate than
that of the previous five years.
Decisions about the middle schools included inthis package were
based on whether additional space was needed to house growing enrollments,
and on architects' assessments of the overall condition of the buildings. If funds remain after completing these
scheduled projects, additional improvements - such as additional
multipurpose space -- could be made at Enatai, Bennett and Puesta del Sol
elementary schools.
The board approved this
option after considering two different packages. The board's decision to include as many
facilities as possible within the bond package was based on several
factors:
- the need to keep the district's building modernization
program moving forward;
- the district's successful experiences in completing high-quality
projects on time;
- the current climate in which construction inflation rates
have slowed somewhat; and
- the knowledge that the average tax rate over the next
eight years would likely be lower than the average tax rate of the
past eight years.
The average of annual local
school tax rates from 2000 through 2007 was $2.20 per $1,000 of assessed
valuation. If the bond package were
approved, even with the renewal of a general fund levy in 2010, the average
of annual local school tax rates between 2008 and 2015 is projected to be
$2.13 per $1,000.
Safety News
By Roger Allington
The designated student
drop-off and pick-up area is via the west drive into the area south of the
multi-purpose building. Students may be dropped off in front of the school
during morning arrival period under certain conditions.
Prior to the arrival of the
school buses (which starts about 8:40 am) drivers may use the area in front
of the school for student drop-off (from 8:40 to 8:50 the buses are
delivering students and cones should be in place). When the first bell
rings at 8:55 am, the cones are picked up and drivers may access the area
in front of the school.
If using the bus lane
immediately adjacent to the school, pull forward to in front of the main
entrance. There may be a lot of divers wishing to access the area and by
pulling forward we keep cars from backing up onto NE 16th
Street. Students should exit the vehicle on the right side directly onto
the sidewalk. Drivers should stay in their vehicles so as to move on as
soon quickly.
Some vehicles have safety
locks where rear doors can only be opened from the outside and that other
unloading situations may require the driver to get out of the car. Please
keep these events few and fast to keep the line moving. The driver should
not leave their vehicle to walk a student to class.
Drivers who use the parking
lane instead of the bus lane should pull forward to the west end of the
lane before unloading. This places the student right at the crosswalk
leading to the sidewalk. Marked crosswalks indicate the safest location to
cross a roadway. Do not unload students in the parking lane at the east end
of that lane. This requires the student to cross traffic moving to and
through the bus lane which is not a good situation. Under all conditions
when driving on the school grounds drive slowly, be alert, and expect the
unexpected.
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Librarian's Corner
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By Jean Bolivar
How to Use the Library Catalog from Home:
- On
your computer enter http://weblibr.bsd405.org
in the address bar.
- Click on "Bennett"
- Type in a search word:
- Title
- Author (Last Name, First Name)
- Subject
- Click on corresponding box- Title, Author, Subject
- Click on <call
number>
- 398.2 = Fairy Tales
- 811 = Poetry
- Other numbers = non fiction
- E = Everybody books (Picture books)
- FIC = Fiction books (Chapter books)
- Note if books are Checked IN or OUT
- Make a list of call numbers and titles of books you'd
like to check out.
- Bring list to the library and Mrs. Bolivar or a parent
will help you find them.
- Remember you're allowed to check out 3 books at a time.
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Community Service Announcements
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Bennett
Elementary PTSA and Washington Communities Against Predators
Present
a SAFETY SEMINAR FOR PARENTS on January 24th from 7:00-8:30 pm in the
Bennett Library.
Scheduled
speakers:
Kim Estes, from
PEACE of Mind, will talk about child safety 'beyond stranger danger.
Up-to-date, non-scary information to help keep our kids and
communities safe.
Jene Ladke, from the
Security group at Bellevue School District, will be talking about best
practices for safety at the school, and what some of the important safety
rules and responsibilities are for Bellevue School District families.
A detective from the
Bellevue Police Department will be present to discuss best safety practices
for your child as they start to move about the neighborhood on their own.
Also covered will be what the laws are with regard to where registered
offenders can live, and what to do if you feel threatened by anyone in the
neighborhood.
On hand, the folks
from Bad Screen Names will be available to answer questions on their web
service, which provides a method for parents and teenagers to report
suspicious or threatening user names. You can check out their website at www.badscreennames.com.
Following the last speaker will be a Question and Answer
period. If you have any questions, please feel free to email bethan@wash-cap.org,
or visit www.wash-cap.org.
Complimentary childcare provided onsite by Interlake High
School Service Club
Bennett Foreign Language Program (BFLP)
Bennett Foreign Language Program needs to find a French
teacher to take over classes that meet Monday through Thursday mornings
from 8:00 to 8:50 am. Classes will continue until the end of
May. Classes meet at Bennett and follow the BSD calendar. If
you are interested in more information, please contact Julie Pratt at pratts@msn.com
Bennett Teacher's Perform at BYTF
Come see Ms. Salman (Rm 1) and Ms. Bauman (Rm 11) perform in the Bellevue
Youth Theatre Production of CATS!!! See www.bytf.org for showtimes and ticket information.
Highland Middle School Bingo Night
All 5th graders and their families are invited to the annual Highland
Middle School Bingo Night on Friday, January 25th from7:00-9:00pm GREAT
PRIZES include a $100.00 blackout, $50.00 gift cards to Lincoln Center
Cinemas, Jamba Juice cards and more! Come get to know Highland and it's
great families while playing a few rounds of bingo - hope to see you there!
DISCOUNT TICKETS FOR PTA MEMBERS
Don't miss PTA Nights with the Sonics
Washington State PTA is proud to partner with the Seattle Supersonics to
offer discount tickets for PTA members. Special prizes are awarded to PTAs
bringing the most people. Tickets are now available for the following
games:
Friday 1/11/08
Dallas Mavericks
Friday 1/25/08
Atlanta Hawks
Sunday 1/27/08
Sacramento Kings
Saturday 2/2/08
New York Knicks
Details and an order form can be downloaded at: www.wastatepta.org/sonics0708_2.pdf
Save the Date!
Education Roadshow -
"How Students Learn"
Wednesday, January 30, 7:00 p.m.
Newport High School Performing ArtsCenter (PAC)
The highly successful "Education Roadshow" will be
back for a second round. You may recall that our first presentation,
"A Byte About Bellevue," offered parents a look at how the
BellevueSchool district uses technology to enhance education.
This year's presentation, tentatively titled, "How
Students Learn," will build on that message by offering parents great
ideas about using the information available in the Curriculum Web to build
understanding of daily lessons.
Dr. John Bransford, lead researcher on the book "How People
Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School," will deliver the keynote
address. Parents will then attend breakout sessions by grade level to learn
strategies for helping students at home.
Please mark your calendars now for this district-wide event. Additional
details will be shared as they become available.
The Education Roadshow is sponsored by the Bellevue Schools
Foundation, the Bellevue PTSA Council, BellevueQualitySchools, the
BellevueSchool District, and the Bellevue School Board.
**DENTAL SEALANT DAY!**
(For kids ages 6-13)
The Lake Washington Dental Hygienists' Society is offering a
preventive dental program, Saturday, February 9, 2008, from 9am to
2pm. This program is in honor of National Children's Dental Health
Month. We will be providing dental sealants, exams, bitewing x-rays,
and fluoride varnish to children who would not otherwise be able to receive
this cavity-prevention treatment. Children whose teeth are unable to
be sealed due to decay will have their cavities filled at a later date for
no additional fee.
Sealants are white coatings applied to the chewing surfaces
of the back teeth. They are non-toxic and protect teeth from
cavities. This process is painless, can protect your child's teeth
for 6-8 years, and is usually done in less than an hour. Registered
Dental Hygienists from the state of Washington will place the sealants on
your child's teeth.
The cost of this program is $5.00 per child. This includes all of the
services mentioned above, a total value of over $300 per child. No
child will be turned away due to inability to pay the fee.
Treatment will be provided on a first come first served
basis to the first 100 children. Since enrollment for this terrific
opportunity is limited, please arrive early at the dental clinic at Lake
Washington Technical College. The clinic phone number is
(425)739-8130. 11605 132nd Ave NE, Kirkland WA
98034 Arrive early to ensure treatment!
The Bellevue Public Schools has neither reviewed nor
approved the program, personnel, activities, or organizations announced in
this flyer. Permission to distribute this flyer should not be
considered a recommendation or endorsement of the program by Bellevue
Public Schools.
Bellevue East Little League (BELL)
Registration is now open for Bellevue East Little League
Spring 2008 baseball and softball programs. You can visit the web site at www.bellevueeastll.org for more information. Mandatory
evaluations for AAA/Majors levels will be held February 2nd and 3rd. AA
evaluations will be held on February 9th and 10th. Scholarships are
available.
SKI SCHOOL COUNTDOWN!
ENJOY THE SNOW!
Bellevue Ski School starts on January 5th (Two 4 weeks
sessions and an 8 week session) and will continue through March 8th. It's
not too late to sign up for our second 4 week session starting February 2nd
through March 8th. Please join us at the Summit!
For information and registration, please visit www.bellevueskischool.com
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News from The PTA Parent Magazine
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Resolve
to Be More Involved-And Help Others Get Involved, Too!
Did you make any
resolutions for 2008? According to a Kaiser Permanente survey, almost 60 percent
of Americans make at least one New Year's resolution. Most resolutions are
broken by the end of February, but there is one resolution you can make
that is easy to keep-and that can make a powerful difference for children.
That resolution is to join PTSA, or if you are already a member, to
encourage others to do so.
Through PTSA, you
and others can
- Raise student achievement.
- Access great parenting
resources.
- Stay informed about our #1
community resource-schools.
- Improve schools for the
benefit of children and the community.
- Connect with parents,
teachers, school staff, and other concerned citizens.
If you are not a
PTSA member, you can join today by accessing the membership form on the
Bennett website at www.bennettelementary.org
PTSA membership is a powerful and tangible expression of
your commitment to children. Be proud of how you help children
succeed-and help others know the power of parent involvement. Resolve to be
more involved through PTSA.
100 Ways to Help Your Child and School Succeed
There are many ways that you can help your child succeed!
Here are a few that you can do this week:
- Make local
agencies and businesses aware of what's happening at your school.
(Hagales saber a los organisimos y negocios locales que sucede en su
escuela.)
- Help
coordinate and participate in events that support community groups.
(Ayude a coordinar y participe en acontecimientos que brindan apoyo a
grupos comunitarios.)
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Bellevue Schools Foundation (BSF)
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Spring for Schools Benefit Luncheon
Mark your calendars now! The 20th Annual Bellevue
Schools Foundation Spring for Schools Benefit Luncheon will be held on
Thursday, June 5, 2008 at Meydenbauer Center , from 11:30am - 1:30pm.
More details to follow.
Winter Curriculum Enhancement Grants Deadline
The deadline for submitting grant requests is Friday,
February 1, 2008. Awarded Winter Grants will be announced on Friday,
February 15, 2008.
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