The next edition of the Friday Flyer will be published on Friday, October 2. Please send submissions to thefridayflyer@yahoo.com by Wednesday, September 30.

Principal's Post

Dear Bennett Families,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your flexibility, patience and support as we've just completed our first fourteen days of school. Within the past two weeks of time, the staff and I have been working diligently to ensure that each classroom is organized and structured to meet the needs of every child. This has meant monitoring class sizes, creating consistent schedules and assessing students to better understand how to differentiate lessons to meet their needs.

I was incredibly impressed with the attendance at our Curriculum Night this past Tuesday evening. Thank you for continuing to take the time to invest in your child's education and future, so that when they grow up they too may be successful in this global society and workforce.

Today as I awaited the dismissal of the Bennett's students, I was speaking with some of the middle school students who had just been dropped off at their stop and were waiting for their younger siblings. They inquired whether we were still having the Walkathon this year. "OF COURSE," I replied! I then proceeded to ask them what they remember most about the Walkathon when they went here. Below are some of their responses:
·         "Calculating how many laps I had to do to reach my goal!"
·         "The pizza, prizes and fun with friends!"
·         "Having my parents there to meet my friends, their parents and my teacher!"

Therefore, in advance, I would like to take this opportunity to thank YOU, your co-workers and neighbors for donating to Bennett's 23rd annual Walkathon! The Walkathon committee and countless volunteers are what make this an enjoyable event had by all. Special thanks to all who organized, volunteered and participated!

Here's to a great start to the school year and the community partnerships we are developing to begin supporting our efforts in educating our students (and one another) about becoming more environmentally friendly!

Cheers and kudos to all,
Ms. Hepworth

Bennett Elementary's Website

Did you know that we have our very own website? On our website, http://schoolbennett.org, you can find a calendar of upcoming events with links to more information, contact information for PTSA Committee Chairs, as well as volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

Check it out!

PTSA Committee News

Picture Day

SAVE THE DATE!
Picture day is Tuesday, October 13th. Retakes are on Tuesday, November 17th.
Order forms will be sent home with your child in the next few weeks. There are a lot
of fun options this year. Volunteers are needed, please contact Carolyn Stanley at
carolynmstanley@comcast.net to help out.

Bennett Foreign Language Program

Foreign Language classes will start the week of Monday, September 28th.
Postcards will be sent out soon regarding student placements, so check your
mailboxes. We are looking forward to another great year.

BFLP Board 2009

Math Olympiads

The Math Olympiad Program is a program for students in 4th and 5th grade to explore math more intensively with creative, non-routine problems. A team of up to 24 students will meet weekly with this year's coach, Mr. Ralph Levin. The club will officially start on September 29. The team will meet on Tuesdays after school from 3:30 to 4:30p.m in Room 4. 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 September 25.

Mathematical Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS) is a nonprofit public foundation that 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. You can learn more about the program at their website:

http://www.moems.org/

We urgently need a parent volunteer to take over the duties of collecting tuition, preparing a roster, and a few other minor administrative tasks. If you are interested in keeping this very interesting program going, please contact me at spoteet6@hotmail.com.

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

Math Olympiads Coach: Mr. Levin (our Enrichment Class teacher)
Contact: Steve Poteet (PTSA Math Committee) spoteet6@hotmail.com.

From the Nurse's Office

THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL NURSE

To students, the school nurse is the person who tends to minor maladies associated with the school day. But school nurses do so much more than provide direct health care. The school nurse has a multi-faceted role that supports the physical, mental, emotional and social health of students, ensuring student success in the learning process.

            For starters, we conduct state mandated health screenings for vision and hearing in all grades. We refer and follow up on any concerns that arise from these screenings.
            We write and manage care plans for students with life threatening health conditions; we work with families and health care providers to ensure that these students have a safe and secure school environment.
            We monitor all medication use, keeping records and following state laws that dictate medication use at school.
            We handle medical emergencies and any emergent need that walks into the health room. We teach and monitor staff training for all front office staff that work in the health room. We teach the teachers so they'll have information to handle a medical emergency in their classroom. We assist teachers with health, hygiene and sexuality curriculums. We monitor communicable diseases. We assist teachers when they plan for field trips or overnight camp. We review immunization records to ensure compliance with Washington state law. We assist the school psychologists and counselors in evaluating students who may need special services. We attend continuing education classes to stay current with "best practices" for our profession.

            Whether your child has a condition that must be managed by the school nurse, or if she just sees me for the occasional "I don't feel good" visit, it is important for you to partner with your child's school nurse.
·        Don't send your child to school sick, especially if he is running a fever. Notify the nurse if your child develops an infectious disease or condition such as pinkeye, chickenpox or head lice.
·        Keep your child up to date on her immunization schedule. Make sure your child has all the appropriate shots and boosters for her age, and give a copy of those records to the school nurse at the start of each school year.
·        KEEP YOUR EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION CURRENT. Fill out the "Confidential Emergency Health Information" (CEHI) form and turn it in by the start of school each year. The school nurse should have a way of contacting you in the event of an emergency.
·        I look over every CEHI form. Parents please use this form to note any health and medical issues your child has, such as allergies, vision or hearing problems, etc.

The Bellevue School District website www.bsd405.org has health information and forms online. If you need a CEHI form, information about when to keep your child home from school, or an "Authorization for Medications at School" form, you'll find them on line at http://www.bsd405.org/default.aspx?tabID=579 .

Protecting your Family from the Flu

The Bellevue School District Nurses would like to help you keep your family healthy this flu season. To accomplish this, we will be sending information home periodically this fall so that we can keep you updated on information and recommendations from the Seattle King County Public Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). Please read the material and help your children understand the importance of these preventative steps. Following is a handout from the CDC on ways to protect your family from the flu this year.

Action Steps for Parents to Protect Your Child and Family from the Flu this School Year

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 4 main ways you and your family may keep from getting sick with the flu at school and at home:

1.      Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

2.      Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder; not into your hands.

3.      Stay home if you or your child is sick for at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever or signs of a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine). Keeping sick students at home means that they keep their viruses to themselves rather than sharing them with others.

4.      Get your family vaccinated for seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu when vaccines are available.

If flu conditions become MORE severe, parents should consider the following steps:

·        Extend the time sick children stay home for at least 7 days, even if they feel better sooner. People who are still sick after 7 days should continue to stay home until at least 24 hours after symptoms have completely gone away.

·        If a household member is sick, keep any school-aged brothers or sisters home for 5 days from the time the household member became sick. Parents should monitor their health and the health of other school-aged children for fever and other symptoms of the flu.

Follow these steps to prepare for the flu during the 2009-2010 school year:

·        Plan for child care at home if your child gets sick or their school is dismissed.
·        Plan to monitor the health of the sick child and any other children in the household by checking for fever and other symptoms of flu.
·        Identify if you have children who are at higher risk of serious disease from the flu and talk to your healthcare provider about a plan to protect them during the flu season. Children at high risk of serious disease from the flu include: children under 5 years of age and those children with chronic medical conditions, such as asthma and diabetes.
·        Identify a separate room in the house for the care of sick family members.
·        Update emergency contact lists
·        Collect games, books, DVDs and other items to keep your family entertained if schools are dismissed or your child is sick and must stay home.
Talk to your school administrators about their pandemic or emergency plan.

For more information:

Visit: www.flu.gov

Contact CDC 24 Hours/Every Day

1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)

TTY: (888)232-6348

cdcinfo@cdc.gov

·        King County Flu Hotline (in English & Spanish/Espanol)
o       877-903-KING (5464)
o       TTY relay: 711                      www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/preparedness/pandemicflu/swineflu.aspx

·        Washington Department of Health
o       ww.doh.wa.gov/swineflu

Bellevue Schools Foundation

Announcing the return of funding for classroom projects from Bellevue Schools Foundation

Bellevue teachers & staff can apply for Enrichment & Innovation grants of up to $1000 to extend curriculum, encourage higher-level thinking, or enrich student learning through art, culture or other activities!

To get inspired, drop by the BSF office and look through successful grant proposals from the past. Or, share your ideas on BSF's Facebook group, and help inspire others! For questions, call the office at (425) 456-4199.

Applications are due by 4:00pm on Thursday, September 25. Find full guidelines and application on BSF's website.

Your great learning projects make this program successful. Thank you!

How can you support great Bellevue schools? Three easy ways:

· Answer the call, give to Phonathon!
Volunteers will call to ask for your gift in early November. Say yes - or give early to avoid the call. Help us reach our goal: to raise $200,000 from Bellevue parents by Thanksgiving!

· Shop Amazon.
Click through to Amazon from BSF's website, and Amazon will give 7% of your purchase price to BSF! No extra cost to you - and students benefit. How? Either use the link on BSF's website, or click here if you're ready to shop!

· Give through your workplace campaign.
If your company runs a United Way or workplace giving campaign, you can help Bellevue students by giving to BSF. Giving a little each month is a great way to extend your giving.

Thank you! Your gift helps students in every school, every classroom - every day.

How does Bellevue Schools Foundation help students in Bellevue?

Like PTSA, BSF raises funds from the community to strengthen public schools. But while PTSA is the expert on your particular school, BSF uniquely invests in District-wide programs that help at every school.

Some examples this year...
·         Curriculum development and teacher training in core academic subjects at every grade level
·         VIBES volunteer mentors, tutors and additional help for struggling students in every school
·         Support for teachers pursuing National Board Certification, a national benchmark of excellence

Every year, BSF makes grants to improve Academic Rigor, Student Support and Teaching Excellence. Since 1979, BSF has invested over $18 Million in Bellevue public schools - thanks to strong community support!

Learn more about BSF-funded programs here.
Keep up to date on BSF-funded programs by joining our list. We send out updates once or twice a month. Thanks!

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? Email Pam McCormack: pjmmjm@comcast.net.

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.schoolbennett.org | TheFridayFlyer@yahoo.com

2009-2010 Editor: Meg Mylan

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Bennett PTSA Executive Board 2009/10

Joe Mehlholff, President

Cynthia Coron, Vice President

Karine Keely, Vice President

Vanessa Harder, Vice President, Fundraising

Lynne Daugherty, Treasurer
Kristin Nash, Secretary

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