Curriculum Night

On behalf of the teachers and specialists at Bennett, we appreciate your attendance at our Curriculum Night on September 23. We had another great turnout! Thanks.

Information regarding head lice

Recently, there have been questions about Bellevue's district policy regarding head lice. If you are interested, please read the following procedures for the Bellevue School District . I have also included some Q and A information below. If you have any questions, please contact the office at 425-456-4800.

Head Lice Procedure for Head Lice Management in Bellevue School District

Standard Procedure:
1. Suspected cases of head lice will be referred to trained school staff.

2. If students are identified with live lice by either the presence of lice or nits, trained school staff should complete the following by the end of the school day:

* Student may remain in class until the end of the school day.

* Notify teacher and notify parents.

* If applicable, screen siblings or close contacts for lice, or notify their school.

* The pamphlet "Lice Aren't Nice" will be sent home with the affected student to the parents.
3. The classroom teacher will be notified that the student has checked and can return to class. 4. The School Nurse may re-check the student at her/his next scheduled work day at school site.

Parent Responsibility:
* Check your student before school starts in the fall and before returning from school breaks.

* Contact the school if you know or suspect that your child has lice.

* Inform family and friends so they can check their children.

* Treat your child and follow "Lice Aren't Nice" pamphlet instructions to control transmission in the home. This includes combing and picking for nits daily for two weeks.

* Examine all household members and treat anyone infested.

* Soak brushes, combs, hair clips in pediculocide shampoo or rinse/soak in hot water above 120 degrees for 10 minutes.

* Wash clothing, bedding and linens by machine washing and drying using the hot cycle for 30 minutes.

* Vacuum all rugs, carpets, furniture, car, car seats and strollers. Discard the vacuum bag. If using a bagless vacuum, securely bag vacuum contents immediately after vacuuming.

* Use of environmental sprays is NOT recommended due to possible toxicity and ineffectiveness.

Teacher Responsibility:
* Discourage close head contact in your classroom.

* Separate coats by hanging on the back of individual chairs.

* Put hats and gloves in pockets or sleeves of student's coat.

* Notify office manager so that appropriate cleaning of classroom items occur, i.e. upholstered furniture, carpets.

* Bag items that cannot be washed for 2 weeks.

* Recognize that lice are an infestation and communicable, any of your students may be affected. * Protect the identity of students with head lice. Send home lice letter to parents with students. * Be alert to signs of potential lice infestation in other students, such as scratching the head, particularly at the nape of the neck.

Office Responsibility:
* Specify full time staff member(s) to be trained regarding lice identification.

* Provide letter home to parents for classroom that the student is in.

* Assist the teacher and nurse in managing student attendance until treatment and re-screening is completed.

* Protect the confidentiality of students and their families. Be aware of parent's responsibility and enlist the nurse's help in ensuring that parents understand lice treatment and protocol.

* Notify custodial staff to vacuum affected classroom and upholstered furniture.

Nurse Responsibility:

* Provide lice letter to office manager/teacher Provide "Lice Aren't Nice" educational pamphlet. * Provide training to office staff on lice detection and procedures to follow.

* Coordinate with office staff regarding tracking students with confirmed cases of lice.

* Recheck student when nurse returns to school site.

* Provide and support staff education on lice procedure.

* Provide educational letter via school publication on lice procedure.

Head Lice Q and A

What are they?
A head louse is a wingless insect that lives on the human scalp and feeds on blood. They do not fly or jump. Most lice infestations cause little harm other than itching. The greatest harm associated with head lice results from the well-intentioned but misguided use of caustic or toxic substances to eliminate the lice.

How do we get them?
The most common means of transmission is through physical/direct (head to head) contact. Indirect transmission is not as common, but may occur via shared combs, brushes, hats and hair accessories that have been in contact with an infested person School are not a common source of transmission.

Resources

Harvard School of Public Health (http://www.harvard.edu/headlice.html ) Seattle King County Dept. of Health (http://www.metrokc.gov/health/prevcont/headlice.htm )

President's News

by Joe Mehlhoff

Keeping PACE with the best schools:

Looking forward to the Walkathon tonight! Hope to see all of you there.
I thought I might take this edition of the Friday Flyer to give a little more detail about our newest fundraiser, the PACE program.
One of the first things I did after volunteering to serve as PTSA President was meet with Presidents of the PTA programs from some other great schools, which has turned out to be very valuable. When I met with the folks from Medina , they introduced me to the PACE program. Hopefully you have all seen the packets that were sent home with your kids recently, and if not, let me know, I have extras.

What I love about PACE is that it's a great way to donate to the school, AND let you save money as a consumer! We understand that you get bombarded with "asks" for donations from all kinds of charitable organizations, I know, having four daughters, that every time I turn around it seems there is another entity asking me for a check.

That's the beauty of PACE. Not only can your child earn some cool Pacific Science Center prizes for getting folks to sign up, but the PACE folks have negotiated discounts with all the local retailers listed in the book, so that when you shop or dine there, the school gets a percentage of what you spend. Just as cool is that the first time you shop or dine after you sign up, YOU receive a 20% rebate. So not only does the school win, but you can actually save a few bucks at the same time! And no, you don't have to take a coupon, or fill out anything for the rebate. It's all automatic after you register.

Other schools in the district are really doing well with this program, raising thousands of dollars with very little effort, because it really is a win/win. We can actually save money at local retailers, and help fund the programs our kids deserve.

So please, take a look at the packet your child brought home. There are some great retailers in there , and I know that after showing the kids all the prizes at lunch last week, that they seem pretty excited about them. Any child that signs up one person gets a glow in the dark earth ball (like a beach ball with an actual satellite image of the earth on it), and anyone that can sign up 5 folks gets to pick from a bunch of other prizes from the Pacific Science Center.

See you all at the Walkathon!

STAFF NEWS
Veteran Volunteer Needed

The Bennett Staff is looking for a veteran within our community to speak about the importance of celebrating Veteran's Day at our Veteran's Day assembly to be held on November 12 at 9:30 AM. If you are interested, please contact Stacey Vaiphei at vaipheis@bsd405.org.

PTSA Committee News

FACT OR FICTION

(1) If I join the PTSA, I will have to attend every meeting

fiction: You do not have to attend the meetings although you are welcome to.

(2) If I join the PTSA, I will be asked to volunteer

fiction: You will not be asked to volunteer

(3) It is too late to join the PTSA

fiction: You can join at any time! Extra forms are waiting for you in the office

(4) It's inexpensive to join the PTSA

fact: A Family membership is only $15; individual/staff memberships are $10

If you haven't joined yet, please do!! PTSA needs your support.

ART FOR KIDS

Attention kids ages 9-12. There are still a few spaces left in the after school Art class at Bennett. Details: classes are on Fridays from 5pm to 6pm. For information go to www.artforkidsschool.com or call 206-774-9970.

MATH BINGO NIGHT

Family Math Bingo Night is October 22, 2008 from 6:30 to 8 PM. Come enjoy a fun night of math bingo with friends and family. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division bingo rooms will be organized for play. This is a free PTSA sponsored event.

MATH ENRICHMENT COMMITTEE

Come and be a part of the Math Enrichment Committee! We are having our first meeting on Wednesday, October 15 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Bennett library. Please join us for this meeting. We will be discussing our upcoming event, Math Bingo Night. If you have any ideas or suggestions of programs that can enrich our children's education, we would love to have you contribute!

Hope see you there!

Andrea Pohle

FALL DRAMA CLUB

Fall Drama Club at Bennett for grades 1-5, Thursdays beginning Oct. 23rd and running through Dec. 18th. 3:30- 4:30pm,
$84.00 per student. Class size is limited so enroll early. Register online or by phone at www.theyoungplayers.com or 206-587-7123.

MATH OLYMPIADS

Bennett is forming a 4th & 5th grade team to participate in the Math Olympiads again this year. During this school year, your child will be participating in the Mathematical Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS). A nonprofit public foundation, MOEMS provides wonderful opportunities for your child to solve challenging math problems in a team environment and enter into contests demonstrating his/her skills. These activities will develop students' ability to reason, to be resourceful, and to creatively solve challenging math problems.

The club will officially start on October 9. The team will meet on Thursdays after school from 3:30 to 4:30p.m. Please see the Math Olympiads page on the Bennett PTSA website at http://schoolbennett.org/MathOlympiad.aspx for more information on the Bennett program and to download registration forms. Please note that there is a $50 registration fee. Please register by October 6.

If you have any questions, please contact Steve Poteet at spotee6@hotmail.com.

Math Olympiads Coach: Mrs. Vaiphei (our 5th grade teacher)
Contact: Steve Poteet (PTSA Math Committee) spoteet6@hotmail.com.

From The Office

PICTURE DAY

Picture Day is scheduled for Tuesday, October 28. Mark your calendars! Retakes are scheduled for December 2nd to allow time to receive and review 1st takes.

TEACHER'S WEB PAGE AND CURRICULUM WEB ACCESS

Need help accessing a teacher's web page or the Curriculum Web?

Parents will use the same username and password that you used last year to access a teacher's web page or the Curriculum Web.

If you have misplaced or lost that information, please visit the office manager to request this information. For security reasons we do not supply this information over the phone or via email.

Secondary students can also ask their teacher for their password for PIV, this password is the same for both systems.

Parents:
User name: Parents\User ID
Password: Please use the password provided
(passwords are case sensitive so should be entered as all lowercase. )

Community News

CUB SCOUTS

Attention All Families with Boys in Grades 1 through 5!

Cub Scout Pack 665 currently is forming dens for this school year; all boys in these grades are welcome, whether they attend Bennett or other schools. If you and your son are interested in joining in the fun and adventure of Cub Scouting or just want to check it out, please come to our next pack meeting on Wednesday, October 15, at 6:30 in the Bennett gym for Halloween pumpkin carving and festivities. Just bring along your own "gutted" pumpkin to carve with your boy. For more information or registration materials, please contact Gary Rosenwald (gwr.inbox@gmail.com, tel. 425-747-0816). SEE YOU THERE!

BENNETT ELEMENTARY HOODED SWEATSHIRTS

Show Your Spirit!

Bennett Elementary Hooded Sweatshirts

*    Two Designs to Choose From
*   Navy with White Lettering and Paw Print
* Available in Youth and Adult Sizes
*    Only $16 for Youth sizes and $20 for Adult sizes

Please fill out the form below and give to school office (*Please call me to let me know your order is in the office!) with "Bennett Sweatshirts" on the envelope (checks only please). Delivery time is 2-3 weeks. You will get a call when your shirt(s) have arrived. Questions? Call Chris Douglas @ 425-603-1718.

Youth Size: Small      Medium     Large
Adult Size: Small      Medium      Large      Extra Large
Style: #1 - Large Center Emblem -- or -- #2 - Small Pocket Emblem
Price: Youth $16.00      Adult $20.00

Name:________________ Child's Name:_____________ Teacher:____________

Phone:________________ Email:________________________________________

Circle choices of style, youth or adult sizes: TOTAL
Order #1      Style # 1 or #2      Size: Youth or Adult      S     M      L     XL      ENCLOSED:
Order #2      Style # 1 or #2      Size: Youth or Adult      S     M      L     XL
Order #3      Style # 1 or #2      Size: Youth or Adult      S     M      L     XL      $________
Order #4      Style # 1 or #2      Size: Youth or Adult      S     M      L     XL
Order #5      Style # 1 or #2      Size: Youth or Adult      S     M      L     XL

The Friday Flyer Newsletter | Bennett Elementary PTSA 2.3.22

www.bennettelementary.org | TheFridayFlyer@yahoo.com

2008-2009 Editor: Meg Mylan

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 only.You may subscribe or unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of each email.

Submit articles to thefridayflyer@yahoo.com by the Wednesday before publication.

Items submitted may be accepted, rejected, or edited at our discretion.

Bennett PTSA Executive Board 2008/09

Joe Mehlholff, President

Cynthia Coron, Vice President

Christie Allemand, Vice President

Vanessa Swanson, Treasurer
Kristin Nash, Secretary