Briarlake Elementary School PTA
February 11, 2010
Sixth Week of School
|
| Greetings Briarlake
Families |
We hope you all enjoy a "Sweet" long
weekend, Happy Valentine's Day! And Happy President's
Day! Remember, no school tomorrow or
Monday. Enjoy the school holidays!
Remember to register for Camp
Invention. Briarlake dates are June
7-11. Space is limited, register today at www.campinvention.org or call
800-968-4332.
See the important new information regarding
the future of the state funded pre-K program
below.
It's Yearbook ordering
time! See additional information below.
Our fish-friends need
you. See below for details.
PTA meeting- Tuesday, Feb.
16- 6 pm.
Morning Walking Club back
by popular demand. Details follow below.
DCSS Budget - Time to
speak up...Please forward any suggestions or ideas you may
have regarding the budget that may serve as workable
solutions. Email your suggestions or ideas to:
budget-suggestions@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us. In addition,
you can learn more about the budget planning process and view
4 proposed budgets for the 2010-2011 school year if you click
here. Public meetings will be held April 21 and 28, 6PM at the
Bryant Center on Lawrenceville
Hwy.
|
| LOVE
LOVE LOVE |
| Thank you to the PTA for showering our teachers
and staff with Valentine's Day treats as a token of our love
and support. We think you are all tops and wish you a
Happy Valentine's Day!
| |
|
PTA
Officers
|
Co-Presidents: Sarah Rigby & Laurie Hobbs VP
Programs: Heidi Carpenter & Lisa Moore
VP Fundraising: Irenea Seufert & Michelle
Linder
Treasurer: Micki Gulley
Secretary: Jessica
White |
| Dates to
Remember |
February
Mon. 2/1-Thurs.
2/11
Souper Bowl of
Caring
Thurs. 2/11
Beaver Bulletin deadline
Valentine's Day class parties
Fri. 2/12 & Mon. 2/15
School
holidays-President's Day
Tues.2/16
PTA meeting - 6pm
Puppet Show - 6:30
pm
Fri. 2/19
HMS rising 6th grade tour -
10am
Thurs. 2/25
Terrific Thursday
Spirit Night-Chick-fil-A -
5pm
Fri. 2/26
Kindergarten Round-up - 9am
March
Tues., March 2
Spring Picture Day
Saturday, March 6
Annual Fun Run
Tuesday, March 16
PTA Meeting
Math Night
Thursday, March 25
Chick-fil-A Spirit Night
Terrific Thursday
School Council meeting
Saturday, March 27
Annual Spring
Gala |
| Reminders |
|
BOX
TOPS
Continue clipping Box Tops.
Look for Box Tops on many different products, not
just food.
School Store Hours
Open
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays before
school--7:35-8:00 a.m. Volunteers
needed! Contact Ellen Kersh to help.
School Tours
Available:
Mondays: Mar. 1, April 12th at
9 am
Tuesdays: Feb. 23, Mar. 30, April 27 at 1
pm
PTA Meeting
Dates
February 16 -6pm
March 16 - 6pm
April 20 - 6 pm
May 11- 6
pm | |
|
| Quote of the
Week |
"Life is a ticket to the GREATEST
SHOW on Earth"...Martin H.
Fischer |
| USED BOOK SALE
|
Junie, Wimpy, and Harry...oh
my! The titles were amazing to choose from.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to Amanda
Patterson, for pulling off one well organized and
successful Used Book Sale!!! In fact, $600 more
successfull than last year!!
From our
chair, Amanda Patterson:
Thank you to all the volunteers who
helped make the Used Book Sale a success. A special
thanks to Valerie Ringo and Heather Hopper for all their
time and effort. Also thanks to Laurie Hobbs, Sam Hobbs,
Jack Hobbs, Lyn Wiseman (grandmother), Susan Gouinlock,
Jay Bozza, Sarah Rigby, Will Rigby, Christopher Rigby,
Sarah Fuoto, Ms. Berry, Tinaz Pavri, Geoff Boyer, Angela
Hansberger, Rachael Takei, Michael Patterson, Jennifer
Owen, Andrew Owen, Dan Greene, Heidi Blanck and
Ralph Ringo for helping us sort books and clean
up. |
| Spirit
Night--Thursday, February 25 |
Mark
your calendars now...our next Spirit Night is at
Chick-fil-A! Come one, come all, just
come! |
Puppet Show -
Tuesday, Feb. 16th.
|
|
Circus Berzerkus - The
greatest little show on strings!
Peter
Hart/Atlanta Puppet
Please
plan to join us for this show on Tuesday, Feb 16th at
6:30 following the PTA meeting.
|
| Prospective
Kindergarten Parents |
| Briarlake Elementary will
have an Informational Meeting to be held February 26th,
2010 at 9:00 a.m. in our art room for all prospective
Kindergarten parents. Please plan to attend this very
informative meeting. |
| Final Day..Souper
Bowl of Caring 2010 |
| Today was
the last day for our Beta Club to collect food bags for
the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta-Egleston .
Thank you to everyone who
participated! All the families in need of food
will be very
grateful. |
| ELPC Meeting-
Multiculturalism |
|
Wednesday, February 17th--
Pleasantdale Elementary School. Refreshments at
8:45am and the meeting begins promptly at
9:15am.
Our topic will be
Multiculturalism in DCSS and we will address the
challenges and opportunities for bringing non-native
students and families fully into our school
communities. Joining us for this discussion will
be principals of schools both with majority and minority
immigrant populations, DCSS experts and parents.
We encourage you to attend so that we can learn and
share strategies for reaching these
families. |
| Braves Game
Tickets |
The
signing choir will be performing at the Braves' game on
Sunday, May 16th at 1 pm. Tickets are $8.00
each. Order forms went home last Friday. Checks
can be made payable to the Briarlake PTA. If
you have any questions, please contact Kristi
Steed. |
| Marquee
Scribe |
Thank
you to Steve Seel for volunteering to become our newest
marquee scribe. We can't wait to read your prose.
Thank you to Stephanie Byrne for helping with the
transition. | | |
| Yearbooks |
It's time to
order your Briarlake YEARBOOK!
Yearbooks are
$30.
Don't miss out on your child's
school-year memories in this lasting keepsake.
We did NOT collect money during
registration this year. This is your first opportunity
to order yearbooks, so order away!
Look for order forms in your
child's folder this afternoon. Extra copies will
be in the office.
Deadline to order is Friday,
February 26.
YEARBOOK ANNOUNCEMENT
ADS
What a great way to use those baby
pictures? Send your child a message of congratulations,
or encouragement that he/she will always remember.
Order forms will be in your child's
folder today. Extra forms will be in the office.
Announcement
prices:
1/8 sheet-$20
1/4 sheet-$40
1/2 sheet-$60
full sheet-$100
Deadline to order
ads-Friday, February
26. |
| Fun
Run |
Get Ready, Get Set, GO!
The 2nd Annual Briarlake Healthy
Habits 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run registration is open online
at the
Briarlake PTA Website or you can sign up through active.com. Race Applications
that are printed out can be turned in at the front office
(checks must be included and made out to Briarlake PTA).
Thank you to all the sponsors, including The American
Boot Camp Company. Visit the front office to pick up your Boot
Camp special promo flyer. If you register online with
The American Boot Camp Company for a 3 weeks session and
type in the special offer code of BRELEM in the comments they
will donate $25.00 per person to the school. Get fit and
fund raise at the same
time. |
| Fish
Tank volunteer needed--no experience
necessary |
Our fish tank
is a much loved asset to our school. Many a child has
been captivated watching our swimming friends. To
preserve our fish-friends we need additional tank
volunteers. Please email briarlakepta@gmail.org
if you'd like to help.
Remember, you get what you give in
life... |
| Morning Walking
Club |
|
Morning
Walking Club kicks off next week!
Back by popular
demand, the Morning Walking Club begins next Thursday,
February 18th in the gym. Each Thursday for 10 weeks
from 7:30 to 7:45 a.m. students and parents can start the
morning on the move with Mr. Cocks and parent volunteers, as
part of Briarlake's Healthy Habits program. Please
support the effort by joining in the morning walks each
Thursday. Kids track their participation for 10 weeks,
with chances for health- and fitness-encouraging prizes for
participants. It's a great way to start the
day! |
| How to
read your child's report card |
|
For the second semester, progress reports
are 2-3 pages in length. The number of pages for your child is
printed in the final column of the grading key, located at the
bottom of each page. The first semester classes
and grades are listed first, including the final semester
grade. All first semester classes have an "A" at the
end, identifying those classes as first semester courses. The
second semester information follows, beginning with a row that
includes only the homeroom teacher's name and, as you follow
that row to the right, your child's attendance.
Finally, the second semester classes and grades are
listed underneath the black heading, "2nd Semester". All
second semester classes have a "B" at the end, identifying
those classes as second
semester courses. This
is the first marking period for the second semester.
Therefore, your child's academic
grades for the 4.5-week marking period are listed in the
"1" column with the corresponding conduct grade listed
in the "Conduct" column.
Thanks, Ms.
Jenks! |
| Monarchs Across
Georgia |
Thank you Briarlake parents for your generous
donations to The Monarchs Across Georgia Book Project.
We were able to purchase 30 books in Spanish for the children
in the rural area surrounding the Monarch Butterfly
Overwintering Sanctuaries. I am honored and excited to
present these
books to the children personally at the
Primero Vicente Guerrero School. You can follow
our trip at this blog site: http://monarchsinmexico2010.blogspot.com/
Trecia Neal from the Fernbank Science Center will be managing
the site.
Thank you,
The following
certificate was sent in recognition of each book donated to
Monarchs Across Georgia:
Gift
of a Book--In Honor of Briarlake Elementary
School
This certifies a book will be donated to
a child living in the rural area surrounding the Monarch
Butterfly Overwintering Sanctuaries of Mexico.
|
| Pre-K
Lottery -Important new info |
|
The
participation of the DeKalb County School System in the
state-funded Pre-K Program for 2010-2011 is contingent upon
receipt of adequate state funding and final approval of
the budget by the DCSS Board of Education.
Registration
time: 8:30 am - 1:00
pm
Drawing:
1:15 pm
You
MUST bring the following:
Original Birth
Certificate
Current Proof of
Residency
*Parent Photo
ID
*Child's Social
Security Card
*new this
year |
| Beaver
Pride |
Our
2010 DCSS Board Scholars are:
Lindsey
Blackmore
Filip
Jovanovic
Devon
Kaleita
Yiwen
Lin
Gordon
Stearns
Patrick
Wang
Students will be honored at a ceremony
presided over by Dr. Crawford Lewis and the DCSS School Board.
These students, along with their DCSS peers from all DeKalb
Elementary Schools, will be recognized for outstanding
achievement and leadership at 4:30 on February 23 at Miller
Grove High School. |
| Afternoon
Reminders |
Briarlake has
many afternoon activities and during carpool/dismissal there
is quite a bit of confusion regarding these afternoon events.
It would be helpful if parents would make note in the student
planner if there are activities for the day. Hopefully,
it will remind the student as well as the parent. Please
remember school is over at 2:30 and the carpool line is
usually cleared out by 2:40ish. So don't delay, come and
get your children by 2:45. Thank you for helping the carpool
crew get our children dismissed quickly and
safely. |
| 5th
Grade Parent Reminders |
Henderson Middle School
registration forms are due on February 10!
AND
HMS
Tours for Parents of Rising 6th Graders
Henderson PTSA
will be conducting tours of the campus for parents of rising
6th graders on February 19. The tours will begin at 10
a.m. and will be followed by a Q&A session with principal,
Terese Allen. |
| Nominating
Committee |
It is that time of year again!
The nominating committee was chosen at the last PTA
meeting and includes:
Dr. Culbreath, Loretta Salzano-Vanni, Diana Berry, Trish
McElfresh, Alexi Smith with Deb Wise and Sally Elliott as
alternates.
Board positions include
Co-Presidents (2), Vice Presidents for Programs (2), Vice
Presidents for Fundraising (2) , Treasurer and Secretary.
Officers normally serve for a 2 year term and the goal for
Co-Presidents and VP positions is to have a returning officer
serve with a "new" officer.
Several positions
will be open for the 2010 - 2011 year, so if you are
interested in serving on the PTA board, please contact Loretta for more information.
|
| ServeHaiti
|
The tragedy in
Haiti has affected the lives of so many across the globe.
DeKalb County, one of the south's most diverse
counties, is home to many Haitian-Americans and members
of our own community have lost loved ones in the
devastation. The DeKalb County
School System has teamed up with a local non-profit called
ServeHAITI* to provide assistance to the people of Haiti as
they rebuild. Beginning next week and through Friday,
February 26, DCSS will collect much-needed items that
ServeHAITI needs for its relief efforts. Each DCSS
school and administrative building will serve as a collection
site.
|
| Green
Team News |
Our team is so excited about
Arbor Day, which is celebrated on February 19th in the
state of Georgia. Since Briarlake wants to get in
on the action, we are going to have our PreK class plant
another tree on that day. We will also start a compost
bin, with worms!
Please visit our Tree of Knowledge by the
cafeteria doors. Everyone is invited to help it grow, by
writing a tree fact or quote on a leaf and attaching it to a
branch.
Happy Arbor
Day! |
| Flag
Football |
Boys and girls
ages 4-14 flag football league. Getting back to the
fun and sportsmanship of sports. No
tryouts. No drafts. No fundraisers.
EVERYONE plays. Sunday afternoons at Keswick Park
starting April 11. "Helping Kids Succeed in Life
Through Sports."
Register Online: www.i9sports.com or
Call: 404-551-2036 |
| CSIP |
All DeKalb County Schools
have written a Consolidated School Improvement Plan (CSIP) to
guide instruction and school improvement efforts. Each
school's CSIP is available at the school and can be viewed
online at the CSIP
website. Feedback is needed from our parents to
facilitate the school improvement process for our schools.
Please provide your feedback by completing the survey
below. All responses are completely confidential. Your
assistance is sincerely appreciated. PARENTS: You may
complete the survey online by clicking on the link below:
School
Improvement Parent SurveySTUDENTS: You may access
the survey online by clicking on the link below: School
Improvement Student
Survey |
| Educating Georgia's Future
Scientists and Engineers |
Free Parent/ High-School Student Workshop at
Fernbank on Saturday, Feb. 20, 9 - 12 pm.
Call Joyce Gamble for additional information at
678-874-7102 |
| Art
Classes |
Humblebee
After-School Art classes still have a few spaces open.
(Painting on Mondays, Drawing on Tuesdays, and a combination
class on Thursdays). Classes will be prorated.
Also there is a Saturday crochet/knitting class
available. Please email
Miss Heather for more information or to register.
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday classes are held at
Briarlake. Heather Sotack, Humblebee Art
Company |
| Tonight....Lakeside
Presents... |
The Annual Lakeside
Swing Dance!
The always popular Lakeside Swing
Dance will be back this year on Thursday, February 11th in
the LHS cafeteria from 7-10 p.m. THERE IS NO SCHOOL FRIDAY and
the dance will have a Valentine's Day theme for the first time
ever!
The Atlanta Swing
Era Dance Association will be on hand to give some lessons and
the Lakeside Jazz Band will provide live jazz. If you
haven't heard them perform, you are in for a treat!
Snacks and beverages will be included in the ticket
price this year ($7 for students and $10 for
adults.)
This event is fun
for ALL ages! We invite all community members who
would like a night out on the dance floor to join us!
For more info, contact Barbara
Antley. | |
Happy Valentine's Day!!
Love, 
Sarah Rigby and Laurie Hobbs, PTA
Co-Presidents
Briarlake Elementary
PTA | |
| |
