Bulldog Bark 2/4/10

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Feb. 4 – Science Fair viewing, 3 to 6:30 p.m., PTA meeting, 6:30 p.m., café
Feb. 4 – Craig-O’s fundraiser night for Brentwood Elem.
Feb. 8 – Author visit, Chris Barton, see schedule below
Feb. 12 – No School, Student holiday/staff development
Feb. 15 – No School, Parent/teacher conferences
Feb. 16 – Jump Rope for Heart donations due
Feb. 17 – CAC meeting, 5:30 p.m., library
Feb. 28 – Clothing Swap, 1 to 4 p.m., Bryker Woods Elementary

SCIENCE FAIR NIGHT TONIGHT!
Judging will be from 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday morning. Come and view the projects in the gym from 3:00 – 6:30 p.m. Then, at 6:30, join the PTA in the café for a pizza dinner and announcements. The pizza dinner is only $6 per family! If you have questions, email Lisa Boone at lboone@grandecom.net or Luz Suarez-Wallace at super_longhorn@yahoo.com .

CRAIG-O’S NIGHT TONIGHT
Brentwood’s fundraiser night at Craig-O’s is tonight! Brentwood gets a percentage of all purchases made – dine-in, take-out, and delivery. http://www.craigospizzaandpasta.com/

JUMP ROPE FOR HEART
This week we are kicking off Jump Rope for Heart! We are joining the American Heart Association’s efforts to advocate policies that will increase access to quality physical education in schools that will increase physical activity levels and help children make healthy food choices. Here at Brentwood, I am challenging every student to raise five dollars for the AHA.
The donations are due February 16th, which is a Tuesday. This is a great way to show our students what a difference they can make in the lives of others and how the money will help to save people’s lives. Thanks, Ms. Valdez

MONEY RAISED FOR HAITI
Brentwood families contributed over $785 to help people in Haiti! Just wanted to get the word out and thank the parents, guardians, students, teachers, and staff for helping make this fund drive a huge success. Some kids brought in their savings. Ms. Gonzalez’s class and Mr. Geiser’s class were the top money raisers, with Ms. Gonzalez’s kids bringing over $200 and Mr. Geiser’s bringing over $160! Thanks to all, Susanna Sharpe & Annie Hartnett

CHILDREN’S AUTHOR VISIT
Author Chris Barton will visit Feb. 8. Parents are welcome to come listen to Mr. Barton discuss his book “The Day-Glo Brothers”, (See schedule below.) Copies of his book can be purchased for $16.40. Checks should be made out to Brentwood Elementary or exact change, please.
8:30-9:15 a.m. 2nd/3rd
9:30-10:15 a.m. 4th/5th
10:30-10:50 a.m. K-1
Library inventory starts Feb. 8 and lasts till Feb. 19. If you have an hour or two during these two weeks come by the library and help scan the collection!

CLOTHING SWAP
The Brentwood/Bryker Woods Clothing Swap-A-Rama is coming up!
When: Sunday, Feb. 28 from 1-4 p.m.
Where: Bryker Woods Elementary gym
Why: This is an opportunity to teach our little ones how to reuse clothing by taking old clothes and making them into something new and fun.
What: We will have sewing notions and seamstresses on-hand to make new creations out of donated clothes. Last year students turned plain old t-shirts into purses, t-shirts & skirts into dresses, boring jeans into patched cool ones, and much more! Mark your calendar for this fun and environmentally-friendly event!

THANKS TO OUR DONORS
Let our business donors know Brentwood loves them! If you are a customer or friend of the businesses listed below, please let them know Brentwood PTA appreciates their support.
Presidio Group, Realtors, http://www.presidiogroup.sitestreet.com/
Little Deli and Pizzeria, http://www.littledeliandpizza.com/
Salon Uffizzi, http://www.salonuffizi.com/
Carla Umlauf Cheesar, Realtor, http://aveone.com/agents2/cumlauf_nav.htm
Quality Living Services, www.qualitylivingservices.com
Braun & Butler Construction, http://www.braun-butler.com/

IN THE COMMUNITY

HANDS ON FUN IN THE ER
Once a year Brackenridge hosts a family friendly “Mock OR” where the OR staff opens their unit, gives tours, lots of fun activities for kids etc. This year, our ER will be participating as well and offering several cool “hands-on” stations for kids ( fake blood and dressings, crutches, casts, handwashing etc..) with lots of take home trinkets. I’ll be helping run the ER stations and give tours of the ER. It’s going on this Sat Feb 6th from 9:00am-3:00pm. Feel free to come by if you can and pass this along to other families that might be interested!

THE COOKIES ARE HERE – AND YOU NEED A REFILL!
Brentwood Brownie Troop 792 will be selling Girl Scout Cookies on Wednesdays after school through mid February. Troop 792 will also be selling at the following location:
Saturday 2/6: 1 p.m. — 3p.m., Walgreen’s at the corner of Lamar and Justin Lane
Cookies are $3.50 a box. Exact change is appreciated. The minimum amount for a check is $14.00 (4 boxes) payable to GSCTX.
Thank you for your support, Brownie Leader Donna Beckett, donnaabeckett@gmail.com

Have a great week!

Andrea Roberts roberts_andrea@sbcglobal.net
Carolyn Lindell clindell@grandecom.net
Bulldog Bark Editors

Brentwood Elementary PTA
6700 Arroyo Seco
Austin, TX 78757
512-414-2039 (front office)

http://brentwoodpta.wordpress.com/

Want to receive these weekly newsletters as emails? Just go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brentwood-elementary/ to join the Bulldog Bark.

Bulldog Bark 1/21/10

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Jan. 22 – Coffee with the Principal, 8-9 a.m.
Jan. 22 – Welcome Walk for new families, 9-10 a.m.
Jan. 22 – Classroom group photos taken
Feb. 3 – Science Fair projects due
Feb. 4 – Science Fair and PTA meeting, 6:30 p.m., café
Feb. 12 – No School, Student and staff holiday
Feb. 15 – No School, Parent/teacher conferences
Feb. 17 – CAC meeting, 5:30 p.m., library

WELCOME WALKS
The school will be holding its last Welcome Walk for new families who are considering Brentwood Elementary for their children. The Walk is Friday, Jan. 22, from 9 to 10 a.m., which immediately follows the “Coffee with the Principal” from 8 to 9 a.m. This is a great way to get a look at Brentwood in action, and get some information from parents and staff about all the fabulous things going on! Please check in with the front office, and bring your ID to get a visitor sticker.

LIBRARY NEWS
Bluebonnet Club starts February 2nd for the next 9 weeks. Space is limited
to the first 50 students, so return applications quickly. The notices went home in yesterday’s Wednesday folder.
Bluebonnet Voting for 3rd-5th graders will be January 29th. If your child
wants to participate, remind them to hurry to the library and read. They must have read 5 of the bluebonnet books to vote!

Chris Barton, author of The Day-Glo Brothers will be at Brentwood February
6th. Copies of his book will be available for purchasing at a cost of
$16.40. Exact change or checks should be made out to Brentwood Elementary.
Kate Slaten, Brentwood Librarian, 414-4347, kslaten@austinisd.org

BRENTWOOD’S “HELP FOR HAITI” PROJECT
In the wake of the terrible tragedy in Haiti, many of us wish we could do more to help the people there. One way we can do more is to teach our children about giving to others in a time of need. Brentwood Elementary has decided to help the people of Haiti in two ways. First, beginning this Thursday, January 21, we will be collecting new and gently used shoes and sandals for donation to soles4souls, an organization that will send these shoes to Haiti, where they are greatly needed. This shoe drive will run through next Thursday—just look for the donation box outside the front office.
*Next week’s Wednesday folder will contain information on a Dollars for Haiti Drive that we are planning. Be on the lookout for this info. Thank you for participating!

SCIENCE FAIR NEWS
Keep working on those Science Fair projects! The final Science Fair boot camp for 2nd – 5th grades will be Jan. 25.
We still need judges! The community was so great last year and 11 judges participated from the neighborhood. Judges will be assigned to a team and each team will work on one grade level. Judging will be from 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Coffee, juice and homemade goodies are provided. The students work so hard, and it is a great opportunity to see Brentwood Elementary at work. Last year, 10 projects went to the City Wide Competition and eight of those won 1st place and two won 2nd. If you have questions or can help with the boot camps or judging, email Lisa Boone at lboone@grandecom.net or Luz Suarez-Wallace at super_longhorn@yahoo.com . The Science Fair and PTA meeting is Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m.

ART CONTEST
Students at Brentwood have all just finished a project about landscape drawing. So they have the skills to do a really awesome poster (at home) to enter into this contest:
Please consider participating in Austin’s 5th annual Flood Safety Poster Contest. Flash flooding is Austin’s most common natural disaster and can be deadly. This contest is a great way to deliver an important safety message, Turn Around – Don’t Drown.
The contest is free and open to kids ages 6 to 13. There are three age categories. Poster should be: 8 1/2 by 11 inches, in landscape orientation, brightly colored, and illustrate the dangers of driving across flooded roadways.

They should be mailed to the Austin American-Statesman before February 26, 2009 at Austin American-Statesman, Inside Line, Flood Safety Poster Contest, P.O. Box 670, Austin, TX 78767. You may also drop them off at the newspaper offices at 305 S. Congress Avenue. Please reference Jeff Simecek, Inside Line, 445-3861 on the envelope. Prizes include a $100 gift card, courtesy of the Austin American-Statesman, a ride on a swift water rescue boat on Lady Bird Lake with an Austin emergency responder and the poster printed in the Flood Awareness Week insert in the Austin American-Statesman.
There’s more information at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/watershed/flood_poster.htm
Sincerely, Linda Anderson, Art teacher

DUAL LANGUAGE UPDATE
Brentwood was not chosen to pilot the Dual Language Program for the 2010-2011 school year. The participating schools will be Becker, Perez, Ridgetop, and Wooten elementary schools. Brentwood will be considered for the 2011-2012 school year, along with other schools that wish to apply. For the full article, go to this link: http://www.austinisd.org/newsmedia/releases/index.phtml?more=1947

THE CAC NEEDS MORE PARENT MEMBERS
The Brentwood Campus Advisory Council (CAC) is short 3 parent members. Please consider joining. We have 3 meetings left for this school year: 2/17, 3/24 and 4/21. The meetings are usually the 3rd Wednesday of the month, from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm, in the school library. We have 8 meetings a year. The first meeting for the next school year, 2010-11, is 5/20. So please join now and continue into the new year. Follow this link http://www.austinisd.org/inside/cac/ and print out and complete the very simple application and file it with Mrs. Carter. Then we’ll see you 2/17. This is a great way to become involved with Brentwood and keep up with what is going on at school. Email Donna Beckett if you have any questions: donnaabeckett@gmail.com

THANKS TO OUR DONORS
Let our business donors know Brentwood loves them! If you are a customer or friend of the businesses listed below, please let them know Brentwood PTA appreciates their support. A big thank you to our newest partner, Presidio Group, Realtors!
Presidio Group, Realtors, http://www.presidiogroup.sitestreet.com/
Little Deli and Pizzeria, http://www.littledeliandpizza.com/
Salon Uffizzi, http://www.salonuffizi.com/
Carla Umlauf Cheesar, Realtor
Quality Living Services, www.qualitylivingservices.com
Braun & Butler Construction, http://www.braun-butler.com/

THE COOKIES ARE HERE!
Brentwood Brownie Troop 792 will be selling Girl Scout Cookies on Wednesdays after school through the end of February. Troop 792 will also be selling at the following locations:
Saturday, 1/23: 9 am to 11pm, Crestview Minimax
Sunday 1/31: 3pm-5 pm, Blockbuster at Burnet and Koenig in the HEB shopping center.
Saturday 2/6: 1 pm-3pm, Walgreen’s at the corner of Lamar
Cookies are $3.50 a box. Thanks for your support, Donna Beckett, donnaabeckett@gmail.com.

Have a great week!

Andrea Roberts roberts_andrea@sbcglobal.net
Carolyn Lindell clindell@grandecom.net
Bulldog Bark Editors

Brentwood Elementary PTA
6700 Arroyo Seco
Austin, TX 78757
512-414-2039 (front office)

http://brentwoodpta.wordpress.com/

Want to receive these weekly newsletters as emails? Just go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brentwood-elementary/ to join the Bulldog Bark.

Bulldog Bark

BULLDOG BARK, JAN. 14, 2010
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Jan. 20, 25 – Science Fair boot camps for 2nd-5th grade
Jan. 15 – Welcome Walk for new families, 9-10 a.m.
Jan. 18 – MLK Day, No school
Jan. 20 – CAC meeting, 5:30 p.m., library
Jan. 22 – Coffee with the Principal, 8-9 a.m.
Jan. 22 – Welcome Walk for new families, 9-10 a.m.
Jan. 22 – Classroom group photos taken
Feb. 3 – Science Fair projects due
Feb. 4 – Science Fair and PTA meeting, 6:30 p.m., café
WELCOME WALKS
The school will be holding Welcome Walks for new families considering sending their children to Brentwood Elementary. The first walk will be Friday, Jan. 15, from 9 to 10 a.m. The second Walk is Friday, Jan. 22, from 9 to 10 a.m., which immediately follows the “Coffee with the Principal” from 8 to 9 a.m. This is a great way to get a look at Brentwood in action, and get some information from parents and staff about all the fabulous things going on! Please check in with the front office, and bring your ID to get a visitor sticker.

LOTS OF SCIENCE FAIR NEWS
Keep working on those Science Fair projects! The final Science Fair boot camps for 2nd – 5th grades will be Jan. 20 and 25. By the way, it’s still not too late for students to sign up to participate in the Science Fair. Look for the sign-up sheet in yesterday’s Wednesday folder. If you have already signed up, the exhibit boards will be going home this week.
Lastly, we still need judges. The community was so great last year and 11 judges participated from the neighborhood. Judges will be assigned to a team and each team will work on one grade level. Judging will be from 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Coffee, juice and homemade goodies are provided. The students work so hard, and it is a great opportunity to see Brentwood Elementary at work. Last year, 10 projects went to the City Wide Competition and eight of those won 1st place and two won 2nd. If you have questions or can help with the boot camps or judging, email Lisa Boone at lboone@grandecom.net or Luz Suarez-Wallace at super_longhorn@yahoo.com. The Science Fair and PTA meeting are Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m.
THANKS TO OUR DONORS
Let our business donors know Brentwood loves them! If you are a customer or friend of the businesses listed below, please let them know Brentwood PTA appreciates their support. A big thank you to our newest partner, Presidio Group, Realtors!
Presidio Group, Realtors, http://www.presidiogroup.sitestreet.com/
Little Deli and Pizzeria, http://www.littledeliandpizza.com/
Salon Uffizzi, http://www.salonuffizi.com/
Carla Umlauf Cheesar, Realtor
Quality Living Services, www.qualitylivingservices.com
Braun & Butler Construction, http://www.braun-butler.com/

COMMUNITY
HOW CAN YOU HELP IN HAITI?
If you want to donate or help, you can contact the Red Cross, www.redcross.org, 800-733-2767. To instantly donate $10, text ‘HAITI’ to ‘90999′. The money will be given to the Red Cross and charged to your cell phone bill.
For an extensive list of organizations to contact about helping, check the InterAction site at www.interaction.org/crisis-list/earthquake-haiti
“PROJECT WILD” WORKSHOP
Are you interested in working with kids? Do you want to share your love of nature? Parents, youth leaders, naturalists or teachers might want to take this free hands-on workshop, sponsored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/project_wild/), which emphasizes awareness, appreciation and understanding of wildlife and natural resources. The workshop is from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 30 at Lamar Middle School. Please register by Jan. 20. For more information and to register, e-mail Jane Herrin, Lamar PTA at
GSCTXUS@AOL.COM

GREEN TIPS OF THE WEEK
For a limited time, you can sign up for the City of Austin’s GreenChoice® Power Plan. Green Efficiency GreenChoice® electricity comes from clean, renewable sources. It costs a little more right now, but the price is fixed until 2022! http://www.austinenergy.com/Energy /Programs/Green Choice/index.htm

Replacing one regular light bulb in every American home with a compact fluorescent bulb would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year! Austin offers a $2 rebate per bulb. These bulbs contain some mercury, so recycle with IKEA or Austin Hazardous Waste Facility. http://austinenergy.com/Energy Efficiency/Tools and Tips/Residential/Energy Efficient Appliances/products.htm
Have a great week.
Andrea Roberts roberts_andrea@sbcglobal.net
Carolyn Lindell clindell@grandecom.net
Bulldog Bark Editors
Brentwood Elementary PTA
6700 Arroyo Seco
Austin, TX 78757
512-414-2039 (front office)

http://brentwoodpta.wordpress.com/

Want to receive these weekly newsletters as emails? Just go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brentwood-elementary/ to join the Bulldog Bark.

BULLDOG BARK 1/7/10

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! WELCOME BACK!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Jan. 7 – Meeting about Dual Language Program at Brentwood, 6 p.m., library
Jan. 11, 13, 20, 25 – Science fair boot camps for 2nd-5th grade
Jan. 15 – Welcome Walk for new families, 9-10 a.m.
Jan. 18 – MLK Day, No school
Jan. 20 – CAC meeting, 5:30 p.m., library
Jan. 22 – Coffee with the Principal, 8-9 a.m.
Jan. 22 – Welcome Walk for new families, 9-10 a.m.
Feb. 3 – Science Fair projects due
Feb. 4 – Science Fair and PTA meeting, 6:30 p.m., café

BEFORE THE GAME TONIGHT, COME AND LEARN ABOUT DUAL LANGUAGE
At 6 p.m. today, Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Calderon will speak and answer questions in the library about a proposed Dual Language Program for Brentwood for the 2010-2011 school year. Come and have your questions and concerns addressed.

DO YOU HAVE A PRESCHOOLER? INTERESTED IN KNOWING MORE ABOUT BRENTWOOD?
The school will be holding Welcome Walks for new families considering Brentwood Elementary. The first Walk will be held On Friday, January 15th, from 9-10 a.m., and the second Walk is being held on Friday, January. 22nd. There will be a “Coffee with the Principal” from 8-9 a.m., and then the Welcome Walk from 9-10 a.m. This is a great way to get a look at Brentwood in action, and get some information from parents and staff about all the fabulous things going on! Please check in with the front office, and bring your ID to obtain a visitor sticker.

HELP FROM OUR COMMUNITY
Thank you to our generous business donors!
It takes a village to raise a child and a community to nurture a great school. A big thank you to the following businesses who are supporting Brentwood through donations to the PTA’s Keep It Simple Fundraiser:
Little Deli and Pizzeria, http://www.littledeliandpizza.com/
Salon Uffizzi, http://www.salonuffizi.com/
Carla Umlauf Cheesar, Realtor
Quality Living Services, www.qualitylivingservices.com
Braun & Butler Construction, http://www.braun-butler.com/

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Check this week’s Wednesday folder for information on great opportunities for your child after the school day ends. Classes include Kung Fu, Yoga, Gymnastics, Mad Science, and Spanish (yellow flier). Classes fill up, so sign up soon!

SCIENCE FAIR AND PTA MEETING
Keep working on those science fair projects! The next science fair boot camps for 2nd – 5th grades will be Jan.11, 13, 20 and 25. If you have any questions email Lisa Boone at lboone@grandecom.net or Luz Suarez Wallace at super_longhorn@yahoo.com. The science fair and the next PTA meeting are Feb. 4th at 6:30 p.m.

NEWS FROM LAMAR MIDDLE SCHOOL
Help Make Lamar a Fine Arts Magnet School!
If you are in support of Lamar becoming a Fine Arts Magnet
program, then it is time to show your support to the AISD school
board! This discussion will be part of the next school board
meeting held on Monday, January 25th. The meeting begins at 7:00
PM in the AISD boardroom (1111 West 6th Street, Room
B-100,Austin, Texas, 78703) with public comments beginning
around 7:20.
Some suggestions to show your support:
1. Call the AISD school board between now and the 25th and
share your support.
2. Stand when each speaker speaks at the meeting to visually
show we are unified.
3. Continue writing letters of support
4. Make signs and banners to have at the meeting
5. Applaud after each speaker finishes
6. TELL EVERYONE TO COME TO THE MEETING AND SUPPORT US!

For more information, please contact:
Michelle Barrientes, Lamar Middle School Choir, Fine Arts Department Chair
Phone: 512-841-5965 Email: mbarrie1@austinisd.org

GREEN NEWS AT BRENTWOOD
Brentwood’s Recycling
Thank you to all who contribute to our white collection bins! We mailed in lots of energy bar wrappers and corks this winter! We continue to collect the same items: cell phones, ink jet cartridges, toner cartridges, batteries, crocs, energy bar wrappers, and corks. Please be aware of the signs on the bins and do not leave items that are not listed.

Also, our clothing Swap-A-Rama is coming up on February 28th, so save your children’s old clothing and any sewing notions that you might like to donate. It will be held again at Bryker Woods and all leftover clothing will be donated to the Assistance League of Austin which benefits AISD school children. A collection bin for clothing donations will be put out early next month. If you are a seamstress (or not) and would like to volunteer for this fun event, please contact Amy Cox at amyo69@hotmail.com. Thank you!

FREE COMMUNITY CONCERT
Free Concert: Watoto Children’s Choir from Uganda
Thursday, January 7 at 6:30 pm
Saint John’s United Methodist Church
2140 Allandale Road in Austin (2222 at Burnet)
Watoto means “The Children”, and these children are on a mission to
spread a message of hope for Africa’s children. The choir presents
Watoto’s vision and mission through their music and dance, which is an
energetic fusion of contemporary gospel and traditional African rhythm. For more information, go to www.watoto.com.

Have a great week!!

Andrea Roberts roberts_andrea@sbcglobal.net
Carolyn Lindell clindell@grandecom.net
Bulldog Bark Editors

Brentwood Elementary PTA
6700 Arroyo Seco
Austin, TX 78757
512-414-2039 (front office)

http://brentwoodpta.wordpress.com/

Want to receive these weekly newsletters as emails? Just go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brentwood-elementary/ to join the Bulldog Bark.

Bulldog 12-16-09

BULLDOG BARK

DEC. 16, 20009

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Dec. 16 – Science Fair Boot Camps after school (more in January)

Dec. 17 – Free coffee and sweets from Thunderbird Coffee and Luscious Pastry, 7:15-8:00, front of the school

Dec. 18 – Jan. 4 – Winter break for students

Jan. 5 – Classes resume for students

Jan. 6 – Report cards go home

YUMMY REMINDER

Thunderbird Coffee and Luscious Pastry are in the house on Thursday, Dec. 17! Come get a FREE fresh cup of coffee and sample mini-scones and tasty tidbits at the front of the school and mingle with fellow parents during drop-off from 7:15 until 8 a.m. What a way to wind down the first half of the year!

SCIENCE FAIR

 Don’t forget to work on your Science Fair projects during your winter break. We’re serious. Just a little, after you’ve opened gifts or finished off the pies. The Science Fair is on Feb. 4, 2010. Boot camps for 2nd – 5th grades will be Jan.11, 13, 20 and 25. If you have any questions email Lisa Boone at lboone@grandecom.net or Luz Suarez Wallace at super_longhorn@yahoo.com.

LOOKING AHEAD

For those who like to get a jump on planning for next year, here is the link to the newly released AISD calendar for the 2010-2011 school year.

http://www.austinisd.org/academics/docs/calendar_2010_2011_20091202.pdf

GREEN FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Did you know Americans throw away 25 percent more trash during this holiday period than any other time of year.  The extra waste amounts to 25 million tons of garbage, or about 1 million extra tons per week.

What you can do: 

1.  Consider buying or making gifts that have less packaging and that reflect your own “green” values.  Some ideas:

      Books purchased from our Scholastic Book Fair not only support our school library but also support an environmentally responsible publisher.

      Gift cards for local services, stores, and restaurants, especially ones who support Brentwood and can be found in the directory;

      Donations to charities in honor of that person;

      Experiential gifts, such as an art class, a horseback riding lesson, a trip to the rock climbing gym, tickets to the IMAX, etc!

      Original gifts made by local artists and craftsmen at art fairs, like Blue Genie Arts Bazaar, Cherrywood Arts Festival, Wheatsville Arts Festival, and the website Etsy.com..  And a great new store that carries locally made gifts promoting conscientious consumption and recycling is Greater Austin Garbage Art (GAGA) at 2214 South 1st Street.  Open Tues-Sun, 12-6. 373-4242. (GAGA is a sponsor for our Spring Clothing Swap-O-Rama Rama!)

2. Consider your wrapping materials.  Some ideas:

      Use cards and wrapping paper made from recycled paper;

      Re-use old holiday cards by turning them into gift tags and wrapping decorations;

      Recycle used gift wrap. Gift wrap is recyclable, unless it’s laminated, metallic, or has a bunch of tape stuck to it. 

3.  Very little of styrofoam is recycled. CLEAN styrofoam can be taken to Cycled Plastics, www.cycledplastics.com, 10200 McKalla Place Suite 100. 

Cycled Plastics recycles clean styrofoam and accepts drop offs from the public.  Also, if you have styrofoam peanuts, those can be taken to a pack-and-mail store near you, which will likely recycle/reuse them.

GETTING TO LAMAR

Lamar Middle School PTA is creating a task force to promote Safe Routes To School for current and future Lamar students. If you like the Green initiative at Brentwood, you should consider getting involved in promoting bicycling and walking to Lamar as a continuance of that effort. Our kids and our planet will be healthier for it. Students living in Brentwood and Crestview are all in the position of having to cross Burnet Road to get to Lamar Middle School, and some must cross Koenig Lane, as well. Your energy, insight and input is needed to come up with solutions. Please come to the next meeting: Thursday, Jan. 14, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Lamar Middle School cafeteria.

 IN THE COMMUNITY

The Neighborhood is invited to sing at the annual Christmas Caroling Party at the Gazebo of First Cumberland Presbyterian Church , 6800 Woodrow Ave., at 7 p.m. Dec. 16.  For information, call 453-8434. The fires will be going to keep warm.  Hot drinks will be provided with snacks. Bring something to share if you wish including blankets, lawn chairs to sit on. 

HAVE A WONDERFUL WINTER BREAK. WE’LL SEE YOU IN THE NEW YEAR!

Andrea Roberts roberts_andrea@sbcglobal.net

Carolyn Lindell clindell@grandecom.net

Bulldog Bark Editors

Brentwood Elementary PTA

6700 Arroyo Seco

Austin, TX 78757

512-414-2039 (front office)

http://brentwoodpta.wordpress.com/

Want to receive these weekly newsletters as emails? Just go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brentwood-elementary/ to join the Bulldog Bark.

Bulldog Bark 12/10/09

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Dec. 10 – Presentation about Lamar, Brentwood café, 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 12 – Movie night in the ‘hood, IGA Shopping Center, 6 p.m.
Dec. 14, 16 – Science Fair Boot Camps after school (more in January)
Dec. 15 – Ann Richards and Kealing magnet presentations for 5th grade, 8 a.m., library
Dec. 15 – Holiday program by 3rd and 4th grade, café, 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 17 – Free coffee and sweets from Thunderbird Coffee and Luscious Pastry, 7:15-8:00, front of the school
Dec. 18 – Jan. 4 – Winter break for students
Jan. 5 – Classes resume for students
Jan. 6 – Report cards go home

LEARN ABOUT LAMAR
Find out more about Lamar Middle School becoming Lamar Fine Arts Magnet School on Thursday, December 10, from 6:30 pm – 7:30 p.m. at Brentwood Elementary café. Michelle Barrientes (Lamar Middle School choir director) will give a slide presentation and introduce a panel of Lamar students to speak about their hopes for Lamar to become a magnet. Discussion will be followed by a question-and-answer session.
The proposal for Lamar to become a Fine Arts Magnet is on the desk of the associate superintendent of middle schools. Supporters want the proposal for the Lamar Middle School Fine Arts Magnet to be on the AISD School Board agenda by February 2010 and the program implemented during the 2011-2012 school year.
**Child care will be provided by Brentwood PTA.

SCIENCE FAIR SIGN-UP
Do not forget to sign up for Science Fair, February 4th, 2010.
Boot camp starts soon for 2nd – 5th grades, do not forget to
sign up:
December 14th and 16th
January 11th, 13th, 20th and 25th.

If you have any questions email Lisa Boone @
lboone@grandecom.net or Luz Suarez Wallace @
super_longhorn@yahoo.com.

REMINDER ABOUT PARKING
Parents, please do not park in the staff parking spots. Many teachers cannot find a place to park and end up being late for school because there are no spots for them. Visitor spots are marked with bright yellow paint labeled “visitor.”

WINTER PROGRAM
Third and fourth graders will be performing in the winter program “Let’s Celebrate” on Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 6:30 p.m. in the café. Please bring a dessert to share after the performance. Coffee and cider will be served.

FREE COFFEE AND GOODIES
Thunderbird Coffee and Luscious Pastry are in the house on December 17th! Come get a
FREE fresh cup of coffee and sample mini-scones and tasty tidbits at the front of the school and mingle with fellow parents during drop-off from 7:15 until 8:00 AM.

PLEASE GIVE AISD YOUR INPUT ON THE 2010-2011 BUDGET
The school district is asking parents and community members to give feedback on how to deal with a projected $15 million budget shortfall for next year, which could include cutting some programs and services. Make your voice heard and take AISD’s 7-question online budget survey at www.austinisd.org/inside/budget/survey.phtml.

IN THE COMMUNITY

FREE HOLIDAY MOVIE
SAT, December 12th, 2009, 6 p.m.
Little Deli, IGA Shopping Center

Light up your holiday spirit, bring the kiddos and join your neighbors for
a free outdoor movie night featuring the original 1966 classic version of
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Complimentary hot chocolate from Genuine Joe’s and free popcorn will be served. You are welcome to bring your own snacks, too. Lawn chairs and blankets also are encouraged.

’Tis the season for giving, and new unwrapped toys will be accepted to
benefit the Toys for Tots drive. Put your name in the free raffle and win
local gift certificates and an iPod, too! This free community event is thanks to your neighbors Shelly Roark (Supreme Lending), Eric Reily and Shaun Hncir (Austin Custom Tops), Kyle Nunnallee (Nunnallee Inspections) and Tiffany Peters (Moreland
Properties).
We hope to see you there with Jingle Bells on!

COME AND CAROL WITH US
The Neighborhood is invited!
What: Annual Christmas Caroling Party at the Gazebo.
Where: 1st Cumberland Presbyterian Church , 6800 Woodrow Avenue
When: Dec. 16th at 7pm
For information call 453-8434

The fires will be going to keep warm. Hot drinks will be provided with snacks. Bring something to share if you wish including blankets, lawnchairs to sit on. This year we are supporting Church World Service, and you can help too. How would everyone like to donate to help buy a water well ($1000) or a sewing machine with training ($250) or a water buffalo ($200) or pair of goats ($125) or some chicks ($100/250), rabbits ($50/ 5 pair), seeds and tools for three families ($50), beehives ($25), mosquito nets or blankets? As individuals we can only do a little, but together we can do a lot to help a family or a whole community build the lives that they deserve. Go to www.cwsbestgifts.org for a look at what we could give to help those who need it most. We also have a Food Pantry and a Clothes Closet that we offer in our Open Door Ministries that always accepts donations of any kind and size.
Thanks for considering and hope to see you next Wednesday,
Pastor Mark McNeese

FREE WORKSHOP SPONSORED BY LAMAR MIDDLE SCHOOL: PROJECT WILD
Whether formal, non-formal, home school, or scouts, Project WILD can assist you in teaching any subject, to any grade level: Science, Social Studies, Math, Literacy, or Art. Our commitment to educators is provided in our educational materials and resources. Educator evaluations tell us that educators acquire new teaching skills and practices through Project WILD –practices that translate into more effective teaching. It is the dedication of countless educators that helps make Project WILD possible at the state and local level, and because of that, we dedicate this section to you.

The activities found in Project WILD instructional materials are intended for use in both classroom and informal settings. The instructional materials are designed to support state and national academic standards appropriate for grades K-12. The activities can easily be adapted to meet the learning requirements for academic disciplines ranging from science and environmental education to social studies, math, and language arts. Educators may choose one or more Project WILD activities to teach a concept or skill. The activities may be integrated into existing courses of study, or an entire set of activities may serve effectively as the basis for a specific course. Make wildlife concepts come alive through this popular national, award-winning set of hands-on educational activities…Project WILD! Go to http://www.projectwild.org/ for more information.

Lamar Middle School PTA is hosting this free workshop!
THIS WORKSHOP IS FOR TEACHERS K-12 ,YOUTH LEADERS, PARENTS & NATURALISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY!
Lamar Middle School
6201 Wynona Dr., Austin, TX 78757
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Check in: 8:30 – 9:00 AM
Workshop 9 AM – 4 PM

Workshop participants will receive the Project WILD manual full of 120 activities emphasizing awareness, appreciation and understanding of wildlife and natural resources. The K-12 curriculum is suitablef or classroom, park programs, nature centers, and youth groups. Project WILD is correlated to the TEKS and TAKS. Participants receive 6 hours of SBEC and TEEAC credit. Registration is free! Questions or to register by e-mail: GSCTXUS@AOL.COM.
Or mail to: Lamar Middle School PTA
Attention: Jane Herrin, Lamar PTA
6201 Wynona Drive, Austin, TX 78757
Please include the following information: your name, mailing address, phone number, email, address, and whether you are a parent, teacher, youth leader, naturalist, and/or PTA member.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Andrea Roberts roberts_andrea@sbcglobal.net
Carolyn Lindell clindell@grandecom.net
Bulldog Bark Editors

Brentwood Elementary PTA
6700 Arroyo Seco
Austin, TX 78757
512-414-2039 (front office)

http://brentwoodpta.wordpress.com/

Want to receive these weekly newsletters as emails? Just go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brentwood-elementary/ to join the Bulldog Bark.

Bulldog Bark 11/19/09

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Nov. 19 – Thanksgiving lunch, parents invited for Pre-K – 2nd grade
Nov. 19 – PTA General Meeting, “Stop the Bullying Now,” 6:30-8 p.m., café
Nov. 20 – Coffee Talk with Mrs. Carter, 8 a.m., VIP lounge
Nov. 23 – Bilingual Storytime for Preschoolers, 10:30-11 a.m., library
Nov. 25-27 – No School, Thanksgiving break
Dec. 2 – Safe Routes Strategic Planning Meeting, 6-7 p.m., Lamar MS cafeteria
Dec. 4 – Texas Hold ‘Em fundraiser, sponsored by the DOGS (Dads of Great Students)
Dec. 5 – Crestview Green Neighbors Initiative, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., work in Brentwood park
Dec. 7, 9, 14, 16 – Science Fair Boot Camps after school
Dec. 18 – Jan. 4 – Winter break for students

TONIGHT! PTA PRESENTS: STOP BULLYING NOW!
Have you wondered if your child is being bullied and what you can do about it? On Thursday, Nov. 19, Brentwood PTA is hosting the program “Stop Bullying Now.” Larriann Curtis of Texas PTA will talk about how to recognize and prevent bullying. We’ll have a very short PTA meeting at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 6:45. PLEASE NOTE: This program is not appropriate for children, so please arrange for child care at home. Light refreshments will be served, but no dinner. Families from the community are also invited to attend. If you’d like more info, email brentwoodelementarypta@yahoo.com.

HALLOWEEN CANDY PUT TO GOOD USE
Brentwood Brownie Troop 792 collected approximately 66 pounds of candy. All the donated candy came from Brentwood students. The candy has been donated to the Capital Area Food Bank for distribution to shelters throughout the year. The Brownies thank Brentwood Elementary for making their first service project a big success!

KEEP THE BOX TOPS COMING
So far this year the school has earned $852 from box tops. As you can see this is easy free money. I have two other ways that you can help and you will not even need to show up at the box tops store on Friday morning to do this. We need everyone to go to the box tops website and ask your friends to join the box tops community. For every person who joins we will receive 5 boxtops. That is 50 cents. Just think about it if every person got 10 people they know to register at the box tops site we would receive $5 just from that person asking 10 friends. Get your coworkers, neighbors, family, and anyone else you can think of. They do not have to commit to anything. I think you can also check that you do not want to receive emails from them and if not you just delete the monthly email they send out. If you have more than one email address register all of them.

The second thing is shopping through the box tops marketplace. You can still shop at all the stores you would normally shop online. You go through box tops and it takes you to the marketplace. You then find the site you were looking for. Our school then gets a % of your purchase. If you are using a coupon you can still use it. It is the same as going directly to the website, but you are now earning money for the school.

Okay how do we do all this? Go to www.boxtops4education.com. You will then click on the earn tab. This is where you will have the choice of the marketplace or bonus box tops. Go through marketplace to shop or go to bonus box tops to ask friends to sign up.

Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Karrie Mannella, 468-5746, karriemannella@aol.com

LAMAR PTA: SAFE ROUTES STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING
Wed., Dec. 2
6 PM – 7 PM
Lamar Middle School Cafeteria
On November 16, Lamar Middle School PTA hosted a meeting focusing on Safe Routes to School with a panel consisting of Allandale Neighborhood Association President Donna Beth McCormick, Lamar Principal Eleanor Duncan, Lamar parent Mary Jean Matus and Steven Zettner from Sustainable Neighborhoods. Many issues were discussed concerning students crossing the streets and traffic around Lamar Middle School. There was considerable discussion regarding pedestrians and cars in front of the school and some steps were identified that we can take immediately to help alleviate some of the issues.
This is only the beginning of an effort to address traffic issues and concerns that have been going on for many years. A strategic planning group will begin meeting on Wed., December 2 to discuss options that can be presented to AISD and the city. There is an opportunity to request money from Safe Routes to School to fund potential changes.
Right now the City of Austin is seeking input concerning traffic. This is an ideal time for you to make your voice heard on changes you would like to see and bring focus to our area of the city.
Take the traffic survey at

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/transportation/

If you are interested in working on this issue contact Jane Herrin at JHHerrin@aol.com , she will be coordinating this effort.
Thanks, Lamar PTA

COMMUNITY EVENTS

HELP RENOVATE BRENTWOOD PARK
The Crestview Green Neighbor Initiative has given birth to a new
offshoot group, Friends of Brentwood Park (FOBP). This new group has
signed an Adopt-A-Park agreement with the Austin Parks and Recreation
Department. Our first work day is scheduled for Saturday, December 5th
from 9 am to noon. Our task will be simple but important: spreading
mulch! We will mulch several bare areas under large trees where the
soil has been compacted by lots of use, and around newly planted young
trees. We will also mulch the informal “trail” that links Yates
to Arroyo Seco, which turns into a mud pit during the rain. The Parks
and Recreation Department will supply the mulch, and the Austin Parks
Foundation will lend some of the tools we’ll need. Come prepared
with work gloves, a hat and sunscreen, and a refillable water bottle.
All park users from the surrounding neighborhoods are invited and
encouraged to participate. Bring volunteers from your school, church or
other neighborhood organization and get recognition for your
contribution in the neighborhood newsletters and on our future website.
Come out, enjoy the day and get acquainted with your fellow park lovers!

Friends of Brentwood Park needs lots of new friends to make the work
quick and fun! If you are interested in joining FOBP or volunteering for
the first work day, please contact Hedrich (hedrichm@gmail.com
or 459-1750) or Emily
(pamelagrierrocks@yahoo.com or
740-2790). For planning purposes, it’s important that we get a sense
of the number of volunteers we’ll have for the work day, so please
do let us know if you think you will be coming.

MOVIE IN THE PARK
Movie in the Parking Lot by Little Deli
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Saturday, December 12th
Free (bring a donation for Toys For Tots)
6:00-8:00 p.m.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Andrea Roberts roberts_andrea@sbcglobal.net
Carolyn Lindell clindell@grandecom.net
Bulldog Bark Editors

Brentwood Elementary PTA
6700 Arroyo Seco
Austin, TX 78757
512-414-2039 (front office)

http://brentwoodpta.wordpress.com/

Want to receive these weekly newsletters as emails? Just go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brentwood-elementary/ to join the Bulldog Bark.

Bulldog Bark, Nov. 12, 2009

BULLDOG BARK

Nov. 11, 2009

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Nov. 13 – Pollyanna Theater performs for grades Pre-K through 2^nd Grade, 9:15 a.m.

Nov. 13 – Lamarfest, 6-9 p.m., Lamar Middle School

Nov. 14 – Violet Crown Fall Festival, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Crestview Shopping Center

Nov. 18 – CAC Meeting, 5:30 p.m., library

Nov. 19 – PTA General Meeting, “Stop the Bullying Now,” 6:30-8 p.m., café

Nov. 20 – Coffee Talk with Mrs. Carter, 8 a.m. in the VIP lounge

Nov. 23 – Bilingual Storytime for Preschoolers, 10:30-11 a.m., library

Nov. 25-27 – No School, Thanksgiving Break

DEC. 4 – Texas Hold’em fundraiser, sponsored by the DOGS (Dads of Great Students)

Dec. 7, 9, 14, 16 – Science Fair Boot Camps after school

Dec. 18 – Jan. 4 – Winter Break for Students

KEEP IT SIMPLE FUNDRAISER

We are off to a great start in the No-Hassle Fundraiser with more than $1,200 in the first few days. Our goal is a hefty $10,000 so don’t forget to give and to ask friends and relatives. Every dollar counts. Thanks to a generous time donation from the Erwin Family (aka Crestview Doors), we have a beautiful thermometer at the school to track our progress. Let’s watch the red rise as we get closer to meeting our goal. The fundraiser ends Nov. 18 so don’t wait, give today!

PTA PRESENTS: STOP BULLYING NOW!

Have you wondered if your child is being bullied and what you can do about it?  On Thursday, Nov. 19, Brentwood PTA is hosting the program “Stop Bullying Now.”  Larriann Curtis of Texas PTA will talk about how to recognize and prevent bullying.  We’ll have a very short PTA meeting at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 6:45.  PLEASE NOTE:  This program is not appropriate for children, so please arrange for child care at home. Light refreshments will be served, but no dinner.  Families from the community are also invited to attend.  If you’d like more info, email brentwoodelementarypta@yahoo.com.D

NEW BUS ZONE

You may have noticed that starting Monday, Nov. 2, the front of the school along the yellow painted curb has become the designated bus loading zone. All the buses pick up and drop off by the front entrance. Thanks to all the families for not parking in this designated bus zone during school hours.

VIOLET CROWN FESTIVAL

The PTA is looking for volunteers to help at the Brentwood table at this weekend’s Violet Crown Festival. We will have arts and crafts for the kids, brochures, T-shirts, and, of course, the thermometer for the No-Hassle Fundraiser so we can take donations. If you can give just one hour of time on Sat. Nov. 14 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., please call PTA President Carla Umlauf-Cheesar at 567-1478.

VISIT WITH AN AUTHOR

K. A. Holt, author of “Mike Stellar: Nerves of Steel,” will be at Brentwood on Nov. 16. Autographed copies of her book can be purchased for $17.30. (Make checks payable to Brentwood Elementary.)

HELP PROTECT OUR GARDENS
Please help monitor your child(ren) when playing after school near the art cottage.  Several pumpkin vines have been trampled and a couple growing pumpkins are missing.  Also, there are passion flower vines back there with Gulf Fritillary caterpillars on them that need to remain in the vines.  Please remind your child(ren) to touch things growing in the gardens ONLY with parent or teacher permission. We would like to discourage playing hide and seek in the gardens as well. Thank you for your help!
 
GREEN ATTITUDE AWARD 
Congratulations to Brentwood Elementary for winning the UT/Keep Austin Beautiful Recycling Roundup Award for the second year in a row!  Our school won $500 based on our recycling, beautification and conservation efforts during the 2008-09 school year. If you or your child participated in Recycling Rangers, gardening and beautification, the clothing Swap-A-Rama, Eco-Friendly Fridays, composting, the Environmental Club or Earth Day, please give yourself a pat on the back!  The award will be given at the Nov. 21 UT game against Kansas.  Go to http://www.keepaustinbeautiful.org/LRR2009Winners to see a list of all the 2009 winners.  This money will be used for our 2010 Earth Day celebration in May.

PLAYING WITH THE DOGS

It’s time for the second annual Texas Hold’em Night to benefit Brentwood Elementary, sponsored by the DOGS (Dads of Great Students). It’s scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4, at the home of a Brentwood family. All proceeds go to the school. If you want to learn more about the DOGS, this is the time. If you want to learn how to play Texas Hold’em, this is the place.

All skill levels are welcome. To RSVP or to find out more, e-mail rsvpbwdogs@yahoo.com.

IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY

Have you cleaned out your bookshelves lately?  The Brentwood PTA is collecting children and adult books for our Used Book Sale in March. There will be a collection bin in the library starting next week until March 8. We accept children’s books, adult fiction and nonfiction, CDs, DVDs, computer software and videos.  We especially need reading material for our 4th and 5th graders. Last year, the PTA made $1,000 for the library to buy materials, and we were able to get a book into the hands of all the kids at Brentwood. Make room on your bookshelf for all the fabulous new books you will get for Christmas!

SAFE TOYS

Here’s a reminder from the Texas PTA: The holidays are drawing near, and families are beginning their gift shopping. To help you choose toys that are safe, you can find the latest information on recalled and hazardous toys on these Web sites:.

Parents.com Toy and Product Recall Finder

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission

Though recalled toys are pulled from store shelves, they may still show up at thrift stores and garage sales. These up-to-date listings can help parents make informed decisions when shopping for gifts. Keeping hazardous toys out of homes will help everyone have a safe and happy holiday.

DREAMING OF DINNERS

The Dream Dinners fundraiser is continuing through this month.  Dream Dinners will donate 10% of all revenues to Brentwood from customers who let them know they are friends of Brentwood Elementary! Dream Dinners can provide ready-made dinners for pick-up. Or customers can go to the Dream Dinners kitchen and assemble the meals from ingredients provided. Dream Dinners is located at 8127 Mesa Drive. To find out more and to see the menu, visit www.dreamdinners.com/mesawoods.

COMMUNITY NEWS

 

IT’S MILK JUG TIME AGAIN 

It’s time to start collecting milk jugs for the annual luminaria display along the arroyo. We need your help to round up 300 jugs to make this beautiful tradition possible.

 

Instead of putting your gallon milk jugs in your recycling bin at home, please bring them to school and deposit them in the box in the front hall next to the other recycling bins. We promise they’ll get recycled after Christmas.  Also, to prevent the school from smelling like spoiled milk, please rinse the jugs before you bring them.

 

Questions about the luminarias? Want to help? Contact Heather Gardner at hokgardner@grandecom.net.

 

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Andrea Roberts            roberts_andrea@sbcglobal.net

Carolyn Lindell            clindell@grandecom.net

Bulldog Bark Editors

Brentwood Elementary PTA

6700 Arroyo Seco

Austin, TX  78757

512-414-2039 (front office)

http://brentwoodpta.wordpress.com/

Want to receive these weekly newsletters as emails?  Just go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brentwood-elementary/ to join the Bulldog Bark.

 

Bulldog Bark 11/5/09

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Nov. 5 – Craig-O’s Brentwood Night
Nov. 6 – Picture re-takes
Nov. 9 – No School, Staff Development
Nov. 11 – Veteran’s Day Program, 8:15-8:45 a.m. in the cafe
Nov. 13 – Pollyanna Theater performs for grades Pre-K through 2nd Grade, 9:15 a.m.
Nov. 13 – Lamarfest, 6-9 p.m., Lamar Middle School
Nov. 14 – Violet Crown Fall Festival, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Crestview Shopping Center
Nov. 18 – CAC Meeting, 5:30 p.m., library
Nov. 19 – PTA General Meeting, “Stop the Bullying Now,” 6:30-8:00 p.m., café
Nov. 20 – Coffee Talk with Mrs. Carter, 8:00 a.m. in the VIP lounge
Nov. 23 – Bilingual Storytime for Preschoolers, 10:30-11 a.m., library
Nov. 25-27 – No School, Thanksgiving Break

Dec. 7, 9, 14, 16 – Science Fair Bootcamps afterschool
Dec. 15 – Holiday Program
Dec. 18 – Jan. 4 – Winter Break for Students

KEEP IT SIMPLE FUNDRAISER KICK-OFF
Once again, we’re not asking your children to sell anything. We’re raising money for all of our great PTA programs by just asking families to donate what they can. The money will go to updating the school’s maps and globes and helping to pay for tutoring for children who need extra help. If our families give just $25 per child at Brentwood, we will raise over $10,000. Please give as much as you can and ask grandparents, family members, friends and neighbors to donate, too. Donation fliers went out yesterday, so please send in your gift today. And look for the cool new fundraising thermometer to track our progress. You can print out more fliers for friends and family. Just go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brentwood-elementary/ and look under the “Files” section.

VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION
Brentwood Elementary is having its annual Veterans Day celebration
on Wednesday, November 11th at 8am in the school cafeteria. We would like to invite
veterans from the community to join us and be honored during our celebration.
If you are a veteran and would like to join our celebration, or if you have a relative
or neighbor who might like to, please contact Amy Cox (Brentwood teacher & parent) at
acox1@austinisd.org.

PTA PRESENTS: STOP BULLYING NOW!
Have you wondered if your child is being bullied and what you can do about it? On Thursday, Nov. 19, Brentwood PTA is hosting the program “Stop Bullying Now.” Larriann Curtis of Texas PTA will talk about how to recognize and prevent bullying. We’ll have a very short PTA meeting at 6:30, followed by the program at 6:45. PLEASE NOTE: This program is not appropriate for children, so please arrange for child care at home. Light refreshments will be served, but no dinner. Families from the community are also invited to attend the program. If you’d like more info, email brentwoodelementarypta@yahoo.com.

PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOKS AND DIRECTORIES ARE OUT.
Handbooks went home in yesterday’s Wednesday folders. One handbook per family was sent in the oldest sibling’s folder. A big thank you to the directory team — Anne-Charlotte Patterson, Amanda Soisson, Heather Gardner and Lisa Roe.

GET SOME DREAM DINNERS, HELP BRENTWOOD
The Dream Dinners fundraiser is continuing through November. Dream Dinners on Mesa Drive will donate 10% of all revenues to Brentwood from customers who let them know they are friends of Brentwood Elementary! Dream Dinners can provide ready-made dinners for pick-up. Or customers can go to the Dream Dinners kitchen and assemble the meals from ingredients provided. Dream Dinners is located at 8127 Mesa Drive. To find out more and to see the menu, visit www.dreamdinners.com/mesawoods.

WEDNESDAY FOLDERS ARE GETTING GREENER
To reduce the amount of paper in the Wednesday folder — and save some trees — PTA and the school are now sending most fliers to only the oldest child in a family. That reduces the paper usage by about 25 percent. Thanks to Rebecca Miranda and Amy Cox for putting together the “Green Count” for each class.

BOX TOP SUCCESS
Karrie Mannella submitted the first of two box tops collections on Saturday. Our submission amount so far this year is $852. We are more than halfway to our goal! Our next and last submission date is February 28th. Keep bringing in those box tops!

MAKE A DIFFERENCE – BECOME A BRENTWOOD MENTOR!
You can make a difference in a child’s life! Interested candidates may apply online through AISD/APIE. Questions? Contact Veronica Miller @ 414-6221 or Christian Alvarado @ 637-0983. We greatly appreciate your commitment and service to our children!

TOO MUCH HALLOWEEN CANDY?
Brentwood Brownie Troop 792 and the Brentwood Daisy Troop are collecting your leftover Halloween candy. The candy will be donated to a charity group so that it can be distributed to people in need throughout the year. Plastic baggies went out in this week’s Wednesday folders, and we will collect the candy from Nov. 5 – Nov. 10. The collection box is near the front office. Brownies will be around some of the mornings to collect your candy as well. They collected 16 pounds of candy on Thursday alone! Questions? Contact Brownie leader Donna Beckett at donnaabeckett@gmail.com.

NEWS FROM LAMAR MIDDLE SCHOOL
The Lamar PTA is going to discuss Student Pedestrian and Bicycle Safe Routes to School at their next general meeting on Monday, Nov. 16, from 7-8 p.m. in the Lamar cafeteria (6201 Wynona). The meeting is open to Lamar families, community neighbors, local businesses and Lamar administrators and faculty. This is an opportunity discuss pedestrian and bicycle safety routes for Lamar students coming and going to school.

Help make the Lamar Fine Arts Magnet a reality! Write a letter to school board members. There is a file document with school board email addresses and suggested bullet points to show your support for this program. Go to the “Files” section of the Bulldog Bark yahoo page: yahoo.com/group/brentwood-elementary/.

COMMUNITY EVENTS
Crestview United Methodist’s Angel Affair, a Christmas marketplace, will be held in the church fellowship hall at 1300 Morrow this Saturday, Nov. 6, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. You can purchase handmade items and raffle tickets for a one-of-a-kind, hand-made whole cloth quilt. Crestview UMC’s Preschool (where lots of Brentwood students attended as preschoolers) will hold a silent auction as part of the Angel Affair. The auction items are great! They include a Dell laptop, a weekend at Port Aransas, IMac computers, children’s bikes, restaurant gift cards, yoga classes, personal training sessions, jewelry, and much more! Proceeds from the Angel Affair benefit the Montopolis Friendship Center, the Salvation Army, and the United Methodist Committee on Relief in Sudan. Proceeds from the Silent Auction enable the Preschool to purchase new equipment and fund teacher bonuses. Questions? Contact Terri Sloan, director of the preschool, at 451-9665.

DOES YOUR CHILD LIKE TO GARDEN?
Ms. Candis of Gardenheads offers after-school and “No School Today” gardening camps at her home in the Crestview neighborhood. Ms. Candis is the wonderful woman with the pink poodle who helps the Environmental Club and classrooms with gardening at Brentwood. For more information, please contact Ms. Candis at candis@gardenheads.net

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Andrea Roberts roberts_andrea@sbcglobal.net
Carolyn Lindell clindell@grandecom.net
Bulldog Bark Editors

Brentwood Elementary PTA
6700 Arroyo Seco
Austin, TX 78757
512-414-2039 (front office)

http://brentwoodpta.wordpress.com/

Want to receive these weekly newsletters as emails? Just go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brentwood-elementary/ to join the Bulldog Bark.

Bulldog Bark 10/22/09

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Oct. 23 – Coffee Talk with the principal, Q&A, bring questions or just come and talk, 8 a.m. in the library
Oct. 23 – Haunted House construction, 4 p.m. to midnight
Oct. 24 – Brentwood “One World” Carnival, 3-7 p.m.
Oct. 26 – Bilingual Storytime for preschoolers, 10:30-11:00 a.m., library
Oct. 26 – Lamar Fine Arts Academy Proposal presentation at the Lamar PTA meeting, 7-8 p.m.

Nov. 9 – Bilingual Storytime for preschoolers, 10:30-11:00 a.m., library
Nov. 13 – Lamarfest, 6-9 p.m., Lamar Middle School
Nov. 14 – Violet Crown Fall Festival, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Crestview Shopping Center
Nov. 18 – CAC meeting, 5:30 p.m., library
Nov. 19 – PTA General Meeting, “Stop the Bullying Now,” 6:30-8:00 p.m., cafe
Nov. 23 – Bilingual Storytime for preschoolers, 10:30-11:00 a.m., library
Nov. 25-27 – No School, Thanksgiving Break

THE CARNIVAL IS SATURDAY!!!!
This year’s carnival should be lots of fun! We need everyone to pitch in a little to make it a success. Here are the ways you can help:

1. Haunted House construction and tear down, decorate, or be a ghoul – see the Bulldog Bark Special Edition that went out Monday for all the info on the haunted house., or contact Anne-Charlotte Patterson at annecharlottep@gmail.com.

2. Volunteer for a booth. Large sign-up sheets are located on the window in front of the café. Some classes have a lot of blank spots, so you may consider helping out another class if you haven’t signed up yet. Here is what we need:
• Baldwin, Gardner, Long – Stuffed Animal Walk – 2 people
• Sluyter – Rock Wall – 5 people
• Calderon, Castillo – Convict Hill – 5 people
• Obregon, Breckenridge, Berry – Chopstick Race – 3 people
• Geiser, Svrcek – Inflatables – 1 people
• O’Dea – Tattoos – 7 people
• Gray, Joliffe – Basketball Toss – 5 people
• Reese, Gonzales – Haunted House – 3 people
• Avey, Mclain – Broom Race – 2 people
• Tierney – Football Toss – 5 people
• Malhlstadt, Rodriguez – Bake Sale – 5 people

3. Donate to the bake sale. Please wrap your goodies in individual portions. We really want home-baked sweets, such as cookies, brownies, scones, candy and cupcakes. If your items have special dietary ingredients, please label them ( dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, wheat-free, sugar-free egg-free or dye-free). You can drop off your donations on Friday, Oct 23rd in the teacher’s lounge, or on the day of the carnival by 3:00 p.m.

4. Donate to the grade level baskets. If you have an item to donate for the theme basket, please get it to your child’s teacher ASAP! We will put them together and inventory them after school on Friday. Once more, the grade level countries are:
Pre-K/K – Africa 1st – Australia 2nd – Asia
3rd – United Kingdom 4th – USA and Canada 5th – Mexico

TICKETS – Presale carnival tickets have gone home, so check the Wednesday and daily folders if you paid for them. If you haven’t received your tickets by this afternoon, please email Lisa Roe at lwroe@grandecom.net as soon as possible. Wristbands should be picked up on the day of the carnival.

CLIMBING THE ROCK WALL – In order to climb the rock wall in the gym, kids need to wear sneakers and have no loose clothing.

MORNING DROP-OFF
Please make sure you are dropping off your child in the circular drive in the back of the school. The traffic congestion in the front of the school is unsafe for safety patrol students as well as our Brentwood students who are walking to school. If you would like to walk your child in, please park in the church parking lot across from the school, in marked places along Arroyo Seco, or in the back of the school.

PTA MEMBERSHIP CARDS ARE OUT
PTA members should get their membership cards this week. If you haven’t received your card by Monday, please email Lisa Roe at lwroe@grandecom.net. Don’t forget to check the back of the thank you flier for discounts from companies such as La Quinta, Sea World, and Dell.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Andrea Roberts roberts_andrea@sbcglobal.net
Carolyn Lindell clindell@grandecom.net
Bulldog Bark Editors

Brentwood Elementary PTA
6700 Arroyo Seco
Austin, TX 78757
512-414-2039 (front office)

http://brentwoodpta.wordpress.com/

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