Bellows Spring PTA News
Volume No. 4 Issue No. 4 December 2008 ‘Bellows Spring Goes Green’ Bags The PTA hopes that you are enjoying your reusable green bag that you received at conference time. Some people have asked to purchase more of these bags. They are available in the front office and at select Bellows Spring events (Variety Show, Family Bingo Night, etc.) for $2 each. Think about using these bags as a gift bag for a hard to wrap holiday gift.
Three Brothers Restaurant Night The PTA is sponsoring a restaurant night at Three Brothers Restaurant (located on Snowden River Parkway) on Tuesday, December 16th from 5PM-8PM. Fliers were sent home today in the Friday folders. You must bring the flier with you that night or mention that you are from Bellows Spring for the PTA to benefit. Remember to tell all your family and friends! Many thanks to Deena Finkelstein for coordinating this event. Cultural ArtsOn Thursday, December 18, 2008, the Unified Jazz Ensemble will be at Bellows Spring. They will put on performances for all grades. Remember to ask your child/children about the music and the instruments they learned about and some of the wonderful Jazz "Greats."
PTA Sponsors Dinner for Teachers & Staff On November 24th, the PTA provided a home-cooked dinner for the teachers and staff since this was one of their 12-hour days for conference week. The theme for the dinner was barbecue to avoid the traditional Thanksgiving menu that everyone would be enjoying later that week. Once again, we had a great participation from our parents in the donation and service of the dinner. Thank you to the following people for supporting the dinner: Mary Ault, Steph Barrett, Dulce Boyer, Karen and Ned Broughton, Rachel Deitch, Stacey Donnelly, Aly Drabick, Meredith Kefauver Olsen, Amy LaMoure, Lupe Lopez, Lisa Magana, Beth Mason, Debra May (Cornett) Zongying Montgomery, Tracey Perry, Courtney Tribble and Rachel Tribble. Holly Poultry generously donated all the chicken. Also, thank you to the staff, your appreciation of the dinner, and most of all for your dedication to our children.
If you are interested in helping out with the next conference dinner in February, please contact Debra May at debra@mm4solutions.com or 410-796-3752.
Watch D.O.G.S. The Watch D.O.G.S. program is still going strong and there is still room for the winter and spring. Your student and student’s teachers would love to see you in the school for a day or more. Since this program is relatively new, we always welcome any type of feedback from participants. If you’d like to share your Watch D.O.G.S. experience, email Scott Tribble at bellowsalphadog@gmail.com.
Family Bingo Night Save the Date! On February 13th, the PTA will be sponsoring a Family Bingo Night. It should be a fun-filled evening for all! A committee to help organize the bingo is now forming. If interested in being on the committee, please email Karen Phipps at kjphipps@comcast.net.
The World is at Your Fingertips! Do your shopping online at www.escrip.com and Bellows Spring will receive benefits from each purchase. Click on the ‘Online Mall’ link at the top of the page, enter your Safeway Club card number, and start shopping today! Links are available to most major vendors such as Amazon, Dell, Apple, Macy’s, Home Depot, etc.
Howard County BRAC Taskforce In preparation for the arrival of up to 22,000 more employees over the next 10 years, Howard County implemented a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Task Force to determine the impact and opportunities that this growth would bring to the county.
This significant growth of Fort Meade means that more military, government service and contractor families will be moving into Howard County. Because of the relationship between the county’s current General (land use) Plan and school capacity planning, this growth will not put an additional/unplanned load on our schools.
The Howard County BRAC Task Force would like to request your assistance. The Task Force is seeking to get input on the needs of Howard County families connected to the Department of Defense. The Task Force wants to better understand the needs of these families in order to properly position Howard County to provide the best support services for all families. Your assistance will go a long way in helping them continue to better serve you, as well as, future residents relocating to Howard County. Surveys are due by December 19th.
For additional information please contact Raj Kudchadkar at 410-313-6376 or rkudchadkar@howardcountymd.gov
A copy of the survey can be found on the PTA webpage, http://sites.google.com/site/bellowspringspta/Home or can be accessed through the Bellows Spring website.
Say Thank You to a Soldier This holiday season say thank you to a soldier. Go to www.LetsSayThanks.com and you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print and send to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the Armed Services.
How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! It is FREE and it only takes a second. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these?
BarnesandNoble.com From December 1 through December 19, 2008, PTA members will receive an additional 10% off each purchase every time you shop through the PTA/Barnes & Noble.com custom onlinebookstore – that’s double your standard PTA Member discount!
You’ll also enjoy Fast & Free Delivery in three business days or less on qualifying orders of $25 or more. (See site for details.)
Shop now and visit BarnesandNoble.com under PTA’s Member Benefits at http://pta.org/member_benefit_providers.asp.
Celebrations in December December offers families many opportunities to celebrate. Whether it's a religious observance, a long-standing cultural tradition, or a holiday ritual, no two families celebrate in exactly the same way. No matter the occasion, it's the season to learn about what others may be doing and to share your family's own special activities with friends. For a quick study on celebrations and holidays, visit these resources:- Britannica Online (www.britannica.com) - The History Channel Online (www.history.com) Start by learning about the meanings of each celebration and mark your calendars accordingly! Ask your fellow parents what they like to do this time of year and you might pick up some new ideas for your family to try.
Mark Your Calendar at BSES
Bellows Spring PTA publishes PTA News Tell us what you think. Have recommendations on newsletter topics? Want more information on how you can help? Email Julie Stokes at jstokes@rwd.com *A special thank you to Hubbard Funeral Home, Inc. for sponsoring this newsletter.* |