President's News
By Marian McDermott and Sue Bentsen

Thank you to the many parents that volunteered at the Science Workshop on January 23rd. Bennett has many bright young scientists that are already planning their experiments and projects for Young Scientist Week!

We hope many of you were able to attend the January 24th safety seminar to learn more about how to keep your children safe. Safety is always a priority at Bennett Elementary, but if you have specific concerns please do not hesitate to bring them up with Chris Thomas or PTSA.

We are looking forward to celebrating math next Friday evening at the Bennett Math Carnival. Math games and activities will be set up at this free pre-Mardi Gras celebration the whole family will enjoy. The fifth graders will be selling pizza and treats to help raise money for their IslandWood field trip. Please support them!

Mark your calendars - the PTSA Board of Directors and Committee Chairs will meet on Monday, February 4, at 7:00 pm in the library. The meeting is open to any interested parent or PTSA member. We hope to see you there!

PTSA Committee News

Skate King is happening Wedn, 2/6 from 1:30 - 3:30. Watch for permission slips coming home soon

Volunteer positions for 2008-2009

Bennett has great volunteer opportunities! At this time we are seeking individuals for next school years executive board. We need a minimum of 4 people to be willing to serve on the board. Training available.

President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

(Please note that these positions are to help guide committees. Serving as a VP for fundraising does not mean you have to come up with a fundraiser. It simple means you will be overseeing the fundraising committee.)

Bennett is a great school and we need to have involved parents to continue the many important roles it takes to maintain "greatness."

Please contact any of the following people on the nominating committee.

sarahpenrose@comcast.net Sarah Penrose

sheila.killeen@comcast.net Sheila Killeen

kristinnash@hotmail.com Kristi Nash

mike-doran@comcast.net Mike Doran

cwist2@gmail.com Christie Allemand

Reflections 2007-2008

Reflections Awards at the Council (Bellevue) Level were announced on Sunday. Bennett had a terrific showing! Here they are: Outstanding Interpretation (moves on to State level) Brad Culp- literature Cecilia Goesling - Visual Arts Talia Goesling- Visual Arts Zoe Roth- Visual Arts Liv. Coron- Photography Taylor Odom- Photography Award of Excellence Abby Nash- Visual Arts Elinor Doran- Visual Arts Kelley Gibbs- Visual Arts Liv. Coron- Visual Arts Zoe Roth- Visual Arts Austin Ball- Photography Award of Merit Amber Tavener- Film/ Video Srujana Dadi - literature Briti Bhattacharyya- literature Althea Poteet- literature Teresa Zhan- literature Po Bodin- literature Billy Travis- literature Devon Roth- Visual Arts Marissa Mincy- Visual Arts Gloria Hsieh- Visual Arts Gabriel Neumann- Visual Arts Amelia McDermott- Visual Arts Austin Ball- photography Nicole Kennedy-photography

Math Carnival
February 1, 2008 from 6:00- 8:30 pm. Games, door prizes and fun for the whole family.
Pizza fundraiser for the 5th grade! Located in the gym and library.

Focus Day

Please mark your calendars - PTA Focus Day in Olympia - Wednesday February 13th - An Opportunity to Make a Difference. "Focus Day" is an event sponsored annually by the Washington State PTA. On Focus Day (this year it's Wednesday February 13), citizens from all over Washington State converge on the state capitol in Olympia and meet face-to-face with their legislators to advocate for laws benefiting our children. The large numbers of parents (and students) who participate annually in this event send a very powerful message to our legislators, and this really does make a difference!

--Focus Day is an opportunity for the PTA to show its political strength. The more people who participate, the more effective it is.
--A full day of activities is planned for Focus Day, including:
* Issue briefings on WSPTA's five Priority Issues
* Pre-arranged visits with legislators and their staff
* Governor Gregoire will speak with us at 10:30
* Brown bag lunch with fellow PTA members and legislators
* Legislative committee hearings
* A tour of the Capitol Building
-- The State PTA's top five priority issues for 2008 are:
   1. K-12 Education Funding
   2. Math & Science Education
   3. Quality Teaching
   4. Student Support Services
   5. Special Education Funding
--All parents and students (if excused from school) are welcome and encouraged to participate in Focus Day, whether or not you are a member of PTSA. This is a terrific opportunity to visit our State Capitol, meet our elected representatives face-to-face, and support our kids.
--The Bellevue PTSA Council is providing FREE busses to take participants to Olympia on February 13. Reservations for the bus will be taken on a "first come, first served" basis. Two busses have been reserved, for a total of 98 seats. Busses will leave at 8:00 a.m. from the old K-Mart parking lot at 148th Avenue NE & Main in Bellevue , and will return about 4:00 p.m.
--Participants should wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring an umbrella and a brown-bag lunch.
--Don't worry if you're not as well informed as you'd like to be on the important "kid issues". During the bus ride to Olympia everyone will be given a packet of briefing materials on the issues, and there will be lots of time for questions and answers (and there are no "stupid questions"). And don't be concerned about being too shy to talk to your legislators. First, they are just regular people and they're easy to talk to. Second, remember, they work for you. Third, even if you say nothing, your mere presence at these sessions speaks volumes to our legislators.
--This is actually quite fun. You'll learn a lot, meet some new people, and make a difference for children across the state by just showing up.
--If you want to go on the bus, please contact Eric Matson AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Eric is Legislative Director for the Bellevue PTSA Council. His contact information is: 425.822.7191; eric_h_matson@yahoo.com

Principal's Post

By Chris Thomas

Safe and Civil Schools

For the last three years, we have given students the "Safe and Civil Schools " survey. The survey is given to 2nd-5th grade students and our hope is to learn more about their experience at Bennett. More specifically, we want to know how safe and respected they feel in all of the common areas (hallways, playground, classroom, bus...), how they feel about their relationship with teachers/staff members and whether they have a firm grasp of our school-wide rules and expectations. A "comments" section is also provided for students who wish to share more specific information about their daily life as a Bennett Bulldog.

In January, we gave the assessment and, once again, we found out some valuable information. A high percentage of students feel safe in all common areas, feel really good about their relationship with staff, knowing they can go to them if they have a problem. Based on the survey, the one area we are focusing on is student to student respect and friend making. While many students feel safe, a portion of them have a need to learn social skills and anti-bullying behavior.

In this regard, we have established two friendship making clubs and a positive reinforcement program for the school cafeteria. On top of this, our counselor/psychologist, Sarah Slatt is in communication with classroom teachers and often provides extra support on how to promote anti-bullying behavior. Of course, we are always reacting to all situation in the healthiest way possible, but getting proactive programs in place help minimize problems in these areas. If you have questions, please contact me at thomasc@bsd405.org.

Please remember that the Education Roadshow-"Help your Student Learn." is Wednesday, January 30, 700 p.m. at Newport High School Theater and admission is free.

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 to steward-ship in local communities. 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.

The support of PTSA

Each year, our goal is for students to meet grade level standards in every subject area. While this may sound like a lofty goal, we have learned that using assessment data to inform our daily instruction has helped us provide students with an appropriate level of challenge as well as support for those in need. As a result of these efforts, it's noteworthy to mention that we have learned that 35% of the students who have shown struggles in specific areas of writing have raised their assessment scores to grade level standards and we are only a third into the school year! No doubt, the teachers and staff deserve a great deal of credit for the progress of these students, we also want to thank the PTSA for providing us the funding to make this type of student growth possible. Thanks PTSA!

From The Office

Art Room Request

Ms. Ray desperately needs some G rated magazines for upcoming projects. Your donations are greatly appreciated! Please drop them off in the art room.

Many thanks to Carol Baker and her wonderful 2nd grade team as they treated the appreciative Bennett staff with a yummy Fiesta lunch complete with door prizes!!!"

Parents:

please remember to stop by the office to fill out a prearranged absence form when you take your child out of school for longer than 3 days.
remember to write a permission note to the office/busdriver if your child is riding the bus to a friend's house (no note, no ride)

Safety Corner - Good Students by Roger Allington

There are many reasons for volunteering at Bennett! One reason is the interactions with the students. As a yard monitor in front of the school during the morning arrival time, I try to enforce the "no running" rule.

One morning three third grade boys got off the school bus and started running wildly across the front of the school. I asked them to slow down, that there was no running, especially when buses or other vehicles were moving in front of the school. There's just too much that can go wrong and someone could get hurt. The boys quietly walked the remaining distance across the school frontage. The next day the same three boys left the bus and deliberately skipped across the front of the school!

Another example of good Bennett school behavior was a young man, probably third grade, who was bouncing a tennis ball as he came across the front of the school. I asked him to hold the ball because if it got away from him it could roll under a vehicle and need to be retrieved. For quite a while after that as he came across the front of the school he would grin and hold the ball where I could see it.

One day he came running wildly across the front of the school. I asked him to stop and told him I was concerned about his safety. The way he was running, a misstep could have thrown him in front of a moving bus and he walked the rest of the way to the east side of the school. The next day he approached me, stopped and sincerely apologized for his behavior the previous day! Terrific students at Bennett!

Librarian's Corner

By Jean Bolivar

Our Pen Pal letters from the Mupumbu School in Murombedzi , Zimbabwe have arrived. If your child would like an opportunity to correspond with a student, he can write a letter that begins "Dear Friend". Letters must include you child's first and last name and age and, ideally, a photograph of himself. The rest of the letter is up to your child. Please note that the school is in a rural setting without electricity so comments regarding favorite TV. shows or video games may be little understood. Descriptions of family life, pets, and events make for better sharing.

Feel free to log on to CultureGrams through the Weblinks bar on Bennett's Library Catalog to learn all about Zimbabwe . http://weblibr.bsd405.org will take you to the catalog. Click on web links then CultureGrams. Login: W405ebenne Password: culture.

Community Service Announcements

Highland Middle School Family Bingo
Friday, January 25th from 7pm-9pm COME JOIN THE FUN!! PRIZES TO BE WON!

- $100.00 BLACKOUT
- TWO $50.00 LINCOLN MOVIE CENTER GIFT CARDS
- JUMBA JUICE GIFT CARD
- GAME STOP GIFT CARD
- A DAY FOR FOUR AT REMLINGER FARM
- STARBUCKS GIFT BAG
- RED ROPES
- STUFFED ANIMALS
- ART OF SHAVING GIFT BAG
- BOOKS AND XBOX GAMES GIFT BAG
- $50.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO THE STUDENT STORE!

BINGO CARDS AND TEAR SHEETS ARE $1.00 EACH, REFRESHMENTS: POPCORN AND SODA POP $.50 EACH, ICE CREAM $1.00, LOTS OF FUN BINGO GAMES TO PLAY!

***ONE GAME WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY THE SPANISH AND FRENCH TEACHERS!

YES Parenting Class

This Saturday, January 26th, from 10 to noon, Youth Eastside Services (YES) counselors will facilitate a discussion for parents on sibling rivalry at the Neighborhood School House at Redmond Elementary. Classes are free and child-care is provided for children over three. No RSVP is necessary. A continental breakfast will be available.

Northwest Boyschoir Auditions

The Northwest Boychoir will hold open auditions for boys 6 to 9 years old on Saturday, Feb. 9 at the University Heights Community Center in Seattle . No previous music training is necessary. Auditions are casual and fun. To make an audition appointment, call 206-524-3234. To learn more about the Northwest Boychoir , visit www.nwchoirs.org.

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 $545 million 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 the high standards of recent work done at Interlake and Newport; and the modernization of three or four middle schools, including Tyee and Chinook. These two schools are a priority based on the need for more space to house increased student enrollments and architects' assessments of the overall condition of the buildings. While all middle schools need significant modernization, the order of the next school or schools after Chinook will be determined in light of finances and conditions at that time.

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.

More information will be posted on the school district's website - www.bsd405.org - as it becomes available.

News from The PTA Parent Magazine

Healthy Kids Are Happy Kids

Parents are forever telling children to "eat their vegetables," but PTA parents know that raising healthy children requires more than a simple reminder at the dinner table. Considering the constant temptation of junk food and the popularity of sedentary activities like playing video games and surfing the Web, we need to make a special (and ongoing) effort to encourage good diets and regular exercise in our children.

We may not be able to monitor our kids' consumption of sugar and media every minute of the day, but what we can do is much more important. We can make a commitment to instilling in children the value of a healthy lifestyle - a gift that will reward them for a lifetime.

Jan Harp Domene
PTA National President

Bellevue Schools Foundation (BSF)

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.

Amazon.com

It's easy to raise money for our schools while you shop at Amazon.com. Just go to the Bellevue Schools Foundation (BSF) website home page, www.bsfdn.org and click on the Amazon.com link. BSF receives over 7% of each sale. Remember, you must go through our website link for BSF to get credit for the order.

The Friday Flyer Newsletter | Bennett Elementary PTSA 2.3.22

www.bennettelementary.org | TheFridayFlyer@yahoo.com

Editor: Denice Malone

Information contained in directories, newsletters, or membership lists published by The Friday Flyer may not be used for solicitation, commercial, political, ideological, or any other purposes not consistent with the Washington Congress of Parent and Teacher by-laws.

The Friday Flyer is a bi-weekly newletter distributed via email. Articles need to be submitted to thefridayflyer@yahoo.com by the Wednesday before publication Articles may be edited for content.

The following are publication dates for the remainder of the school year:

Feb 8, Feb 29, Mar 14, Mar 28, Apr 18, May 2, May 16, May 30, and Jun 16

Bennett PTSA Executive Board 2007/08
Marian McDermott, Co-President, ma_mcdermott@hotmail.com 425/653-1235
Sue Bentsen, Co-President, sue@bentsen.us  425/644-5005
Vanessa Swanson, Treasurer, vswan@lynden.com  425/641-6626
Heather Gibbs, Co-Treasurer, heather@thegibbs.us  425/746-3483
Kris Moazez, Secretary, krism@mmpunion.com  425/643-8396
Clay Dawson, VP Education, clayd43@msn.com  425/643-6298
Alison House, VP Fundraising, alihouse@comcast.net  425/653-5411
Michelle Ball, VP Community, michball@winisp.net  425/564-8315

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Bennett Elementary PTSA | 17900 NE 16th Street | Bellevue | WA | 98008