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/

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

BARK, Oct. 15, 2009

BARK, OCT. 15, 2009
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
TONIGHT!! Oct. 15 – PTA meeting, “How to help your child with homework,” 6:30 p.m., café
Oct. 19 – Student Holiday, parent-teacher conferences
Oct. 21 – report cards go home
Oct. 21 – CAC meeting, 5:30 p.m., library
Oct. 23 – Coffee Talk, Q&A, bring your questions or just come and talk, 8 a.m. in the library
Oct. 24 – Brentwood “One World” Carnival, 3-7 p.m.
Oct. 26 – Bilingual Storytime for preschoolers, 10:30-11:00 a.m., library
Nov. 13 – Lamarfest – music, games, prizes, food, Lamar Middle School

PTA MEETING TONIGHT!
Tonight’s PTA meeting offers homework help. If you’ve been wondering about the best ways to help your child with homework, you can get some answers. Brentwood teachers will be there to give tips. The taco dinner from Elsi’s Restaurant starts at 6:30 p.m. and costs $6 per adult and $3 per child. See you there!

GET YOUR CARNIVAL TICKETS NOW AND SAVE!
Order forms for presale tickets went out in yesterday’s Wednesday folder. Depending on the number of tickets you buy, you could save as much as $5 — and you’ll spend less time in line. We’re also selling wristbands for $15 — an even better deal! Wristbands give your child access to all booths except for Silly String and the Haunted House, and they can’t be used for food or drinks.

Be sure to get your orders in now. Tickets will be sent home in the Oct. 21 Wednesday folder, and wristbands can be picked up on the day of the carnival. If you have questions about tickets, contact Lisa Roe at 496-9471 or lwroe@grandecom.net.

ART NEWS
Art classes have just started our unit on portraits, and are studying the artist Chuck Close. He has work on exhibit at AMOA (Austin Museum Of Art). This Friday, 4th and 5th graders are going to the museum to see his work. Thursdays are FREE museum day at AMOA, so take the kids, play in the Family Lab, and your child will get extra credit in Art!

Kindergarten artwork is up in the hall for a few more weeks. We explored lines and shapes while learning to draw birds and tried out five different artist’s materials. Come see your little artist’s masterpieces!

CARNIVAL IS GETTING CLOSE!!
One World Carnival Spooktacular – Oct. 24 – 3-7 p.m.
You can explore lots of different countries, jump in the bounce house, play games and scare yourself silly in the Haunted House. Wear your costume, too! Delicious food will be available from Tacodeli, Crag O’s and Jim Jim’s Ice. There will be a mariachi band and other performers, too. Fourth and fifth graders should start sharpening their stories for the second annual spooky story contest.
It’s not too late to help. Look for sign-up sheets outside your child’s classroom to volunteer for your class booth. Volunteering for just an hour or two will help our carnival be fun and successful.
We need more ghouls to make the Haunted House extra eerie. It is a great job for a middle or high school student. Do you know a student needing service hours? This is a great way to give back!
Questions? Want to volunteer? Contact Lisa Boone at lboone@grandecom.net, or at her mobile number, 512-796-6752.
Carnival Collection – Please consider donating the following to the carnival:
• Gently used and clean stuffed animals. Collection boxes are in the 100 wing hallway.
• Items for your grade level’s silent auction basket. Each grade has an assigned country. Baskets are provided by the PTA. Ideas for the baskets include: music CDs, tea, coffee, bread, cookie mixes, masks, books, maps, puzzles, games, art, jewelry or gift certificates. Homeroom teachers may also collect money and make collective purchases. Check with your homeroom parent.
Countries:
Africa – Pre-k and K
Australia – 1st
Asia – 2nd
United Kingdom – 3rd
USA and Canada – 4th
Mexico – 5th

HEY, BRENTWOOD DADS
It’s time to go to the DOGS. The DOGS (Dads of Great Students) is a group of Brentwood dads – and granddads, uncles or buddies – who want to have fun with their kids and work on projects to benefit our school. We want to make it easy for men to get involved no matter how much time they have. If we work together, we’ll get to know one another, make Brentwood even better and show our kids we think their education is important.

We’ll have several projects and events during the year, and our first big project is building the Haunted House for the Brentwood One World Carnival on October 24. Many hands make for light work, and we need lots of help with construction, staffing and tear-down of the popular carnival attraction.

For more information about the DOGS or to hear about upcoming events and projects, contact Russell Roe at russellroe@grandecom.net or 453-2358. You can also join the Brentwood DOGS Facebook Group at
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=195848755328 or subscribe to
the DOGS Yahoo group by sending an e-mail to brentwooddogs-
subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

LAMAR FINE ART ACADEMY PRESENTATION
Come see a presentation on the proposal for Lamar to become a Fine Arts Academy, at the Lamar PTA meeting, Monday, Oct. 26, from 7 to 8 p.m. The agenda also includes an update on “No Bullying” efforts and info on LamarFest, .There will be a brief performance by Lamar Scottie Singers!

GET YOUR SHOTS
FREE children’s immunizations (NOT flu shots) are offered by Children’s/AISD Student Health Services on Monday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Delco Activity Center, 4601 Pecan Brook Drive, 78724. Parents must accompany children and MUST bring the student’s shot record. For more information, please call 324-0195.

COMMUNITY NEWS
VIOLET CROWN COMMUNITY THEATER
Check out the free production of “Rumpelstiltskin,” put on by the Violet Crown Community Theater. Cast members include some Brentwood parents, volunteers and neighbors! The performance will be 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17 at Brentwood Park outdoor stage (near the pool). In case of rain, the show will be at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church at 6800 Woodrow Ave. Please bring a canned good donation for the church’s food bank. Other performance dates are 7 p.m., Oct. 15 at Freddie’s Place on South 1st Street, and 5 p.m. Oct. 18 at Central Market on N. Lamar.
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 10/8/2009

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Oct. 9 – Scholastic Book Fair ends at 1:30 p.m., library
Oct. 12 – Bilingual (Spanish/English) storytime for preschoolers, 10:30-11:00 a.m., library – NEW!
Oct. 15 – PTA meeting, “How to help your child with homework,” 6:30 p.m., café
Oct. 19 – Student Holiday, parent-teacher conferences
Oct. 21 – report cards go home
Oct. 21 – CAC meeting, 5:30 p.m., library
Oct. 24 – Brentwood “One World” Carnival, 3-7 p.m.
Oct. 26 – Bilingual Storytime for preschoolers, 10:30-11:00 a.m., library

Nov. 13 – Lamarfest – music, games, prizes, food, Lamar Middle School

BRENTWOOD CARNIVAL – LOTS TO KNOW!

One World Carnival Spooktacular – Oct. 24 – 3-7 p.m.
Come explore Africa, Australia, the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Mexico, and Asia. There will be more booths, bounce houses and activities this year. Costumes are welcome! There will be food from Taco Deli, Craig O’s, and Jim Jim’s Ice. Thunderbird Café will sell drinks. Don’t forget our traditional haunted house – it is sure to get you in the Halloween mood. Bounce houses are sponsored by Grande Communications. We will also have the second annual spooky story contest for 4th and 5th graders.
• Look for sign-up sheets outside your child’s classroom to volunteer for your class booth. Please give and hour or two – it will help our carnival be fun and successful.
• We will have a mariachi band performing, with Asian and African performers as well.
• Can you be a ghoul? We need them for the Haunted House. It is a great job for a middle or high school student.
• Do you know a student needing service hours? This is a great way to give back!
Questions? Want to volunteer? Contact Lisa Boone at lboone@grandecom.net, or at her mobile number, 512-796-6752.

Carnival Collection – Please consider donating the following to the carnival:
• Gently used and clean stuffed animals. Collection boxes are in the 100 wing hallway.
• Items for your grade level’s silent auction basket. Each grade has an assigned country. Baskets are provided by the PTA. Ideas for the baskets can include: music cds, tea, coffee, bread, cookie mixes, masks, books, maps, puzzles, games, art, jewelry, or gift certificates. Homeroom teachers may also collect money and make collective purchases. Check with your homeroom parent.

Countries:
Africa – Pre-k and K
Australia – 1st
Asia – 2nd
United Kingdom – 3rd
USA and Canada – 4th
Mexico – 5th

NEW! PRESCHOOL STORYTIME IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH
This new event is open to the community, and is for kids ages 18 months to 4 years. We will sing songs, read books, and dance. The storytime will take place at Brentwood’s library, the second and fourth Monday of the month, beginning Oct. 12, from 10:30-11:00 a.m. Make sure to sign inat the front office when you first come in. If this is your first time at Brentwood, remember to bring your ID. If you have any questions, please contact Evangeline Herring at evaherring@gmail.com.

LAMAR NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT
As you may have heard, Lamar Middle School is attempting to become a Fine Arts Middle School Magnet Program and is seeking letters of support from the community. If you support a Lamar Middle School Fine Arts Magnet, please send your letter TODAY to Michelle Barrientes at mbarrie1@austinisd.org. Michelle is heading the magnet task force at Lamar. To learn more about this school within a school endeavor and view a couple of sample letters, go to: http://www.austinisd.org/schools/staff.phtml?teacher=2794&opt=handouts

RECYCLING AT BRENTWOOD
We continue to collect the following items in white bins across from the main office:
Bottle corks, energy bar wrappers, cell phones, toner and ink cartridges, and crocs.
We are also beginning to collect #6 clear plastic for Earth Day (we need lots)! #6 plastic is typically used for take-out containers. Also, we are adding used CD’s and DVD’s to our collection. These items are collected by Balcones Recycling, our paper recycling source.
Lastly, do you have bags of leaves that you wouldn’t mind bringing to the school? Our compost pile needs them! Please drop off near the compost pile on the south side of the school across from the Art Cottage. Please contact Amy Cox at acox1@austinisd.org with any questions.

A PLACE FOR ALL THOSE TINY TOYS
Does anyone have any extra Happy Meal or similar toys they want to donate? If so, Mrs. Jones, Brentwood’s speech therapist, needs them for her “prize box.” Feel free to drop them off in room 111, the front office, or email her at sheryl.w.jones@austinisd.org, and they will be given away to speech students who are doing their “personal best” in speech! And when Mrs. Jones has her fill, continue to bring in those little toys for the Box Top Store. You can leave them at the front office with the name ‘Karrie Manella – Box Top Store’ on them.

HOMEROOM PARENT UPDATE
Thank you to those who have volunteered to serve as homeroom parents. Look for an information packet to come home with your child at the beginning of next week if you have volunteered for this. These teachers still need a homeroom parent:
Castillo (1), Baldwin (K), Breckenridge (2), Avey/Tierney (4/5), Rodriguez (3), McClain(3), O’Dea (5), and Berry (2).
Contact arellano.jessica@gmail.com. If you would like to help one of these great teachers by becoming a homeroom parent.

TEACHER VOLUNTEER NEEDS
Mr. Geiser – 2nd
Once a week commitment for one hour during center time (9-10 a.m.) or writer’s workshop (1:15 -2:00 p.m.) jgeiser@austinisd.org

Ms. Breckenridge – 2nd
Volunteer to stuff Wednesday folders once a week in room 205. pbrecken@austinisd.org

COMMUNITY EVENTS

FRUGAL MEDIA – Oct. 9, 6-10 p.m. – 5400 N. Lamar
Craft fair, live music, DIY demo: duct tape wallet, book drive fundraiser
www.frugalmedia.com (They are a big supporter of our used book sale!)

VIOLET CROWN COMMUNITY THEATER
What’s better than spinning straw into gold? Taking your children to see a free production of “Rumpelstiltskin,” put on by the Violet Crown Community Theater. Cast members include some Brentwood parents, volunteers, and neighbors! The performance will be at 5 p.m., Oct. 17 at Brentwood Park (by the pool). In case of rain, the show will be at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church at 6800 Woodrow Ave. Please bring a canned good donation for the church’s food bank. Other performance dates are 7 p.m., Oct. 15 at Freddie’s Place on South 1st Street, and 5 p.m., Oct. 18 at Central Market on N. Lamar.

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.

BARK, Oct. 1, 2009

BULLDOG BARK, OCT. 1, 2009
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Oct. 3 – Kick-off Celebration for Marathon Kids, 9 a.m. at UT Mike Myers Stadium
Oct. 5-9 – Scholastic Book Fair, library
Oct. 15 – PTA meeting, “How to help your child with homework,” 6:30 p.m., café
Oct. 19 – Student Holiday, parent-teacher conferences
Oct. 21 – Report cards go home
Oct. 21 – CAC Meeting, 5:30 p.m., library
Oct. 24 – Brentwood “One World” Carnival, 3-7 p.m.

Nov. 13 – Lamarfest: A Night to Remember, music, food and fun

PIZZA NIGHT
Tonight is the first Thursday of the month, which means it is Brentwood Night at CraigO’s Pizza and Pastaria. CraigO’s will give 10 percent of its total sales for the night to Brentwood Elementary. Dine on an Italian supper this evening, while helping raise money for the school. CraigO’s is at 5501 Balcones Drive (at MoPac and 2222).

BOOK FAIR
The Fall Scholastic Book Fair will be next week. Hours will be
7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday
7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday (open late)
7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday (open early)
7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday (closes early)
Each child will visit the Book Fair to make a wish list. Parents will get the wish list and cost of those books and can send money to the school. You can also donate books from the teacher’s wish list. This fund-raiser helps pay for hundreds of new books at the library.

GET TO KNOW BRENTWOOD
Please join us for the new bilingual(Spanish/English) storytime for kids ages 18 months to 4 years old. We will sing songs, read books, and dance to the beat of the music. The storytime will take place at Brentwood’s library, the second and fourth Monday of the month, starting Oct.12, from 10:30-11:00 a.m.

Make sure to sign in at the front office before you go to the library. If you have any question, please contact Evangeline at evaherring@gmail.com

WE STILL NEED HOMEROOM PARENTS

Thanks so much to all of the wonderful parents who have volunteered, but we still need homeroom parents for many of the classes at Brentwood! Please consider helping out your child’s teacher in this special way. If you have any questions about this great job, please contact Jessica Arellano (arellano.jessica@gmail.com or 736-4257) or Andrea Roberts (roberts_andrea@sbcglobal.net or 323-6974). Teachers who still need a homeroom parent are: Bilich (Pre-K), Calderon (1), Castillo (1), Baldwin (K), Breckenridge (2), Obregon (2), Avey/Tierney (4/5), Rodriguez (3), McClain(3), Gonzalez (5), O’Dea (5), and Berry (2).

ONE WORLD CARNIVAL SPOOKTACULAR
Plans are still coming together for Brentwood’s big “One World” carnival, where families can explore different countries. There will be booths, bounce houses and activities. Costumes are welcome! There will be food and drinks from Taco Deli, Craig O’s, Jim Jim’s Ice, and Thunderbird Coffee, as well as the traditional Haunted House and the spooky story contest for 4th and 5th graders.
How can parents/friends help?
• Look for the sign-up sheets outside your child’s classroom to volunteer for your class booth. If everyone gives an hour or two, the carnival will be a great success.
• We are looking for cultural acts to participate in our carnival. If you know of anyone who would love to perform, please contact Lisa Boone at lboone@grandecom.net or 512-796-6752.
• Could you be a scary ghoul for the Haunted House? This is a great way for Brentwood alumni in middle school or high school to give back and have fun.
• If you know of any service groups that are interested in giving back to the local community for this event, contact Lisa at lboone@grandecom.net or 512-796-6752.

DREAM DINNERS FUND-RAISER FOR BRENTWOOD
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
WALK TO SCHOOL
Did you know that October is Walk to School month? Not walking to school is a missed opportunity for kids to get fresh air and exercise. Roughly 10 percent of children nationwide walk to school regularly. Even among those kids living within a mile of their school, only 25 percent are regular walkers. Physical activity recommendations for children suggest that they need a variety of activities each day. Walking or cycling to and from school is an ideal way to get some of that activity at no extra cost to your family or the environment!
In terms of improving our air quality, October is Austin’s last chance to reduce ground-level ozone levels in order to avoid restrictions from the Environmental Protection Agency that could hurt economic growth. So try having your child walk, bike, scooter or carpool to school if you live nearby!

OPEN HOUSE FOR McCALLUM ACADEMY

The Fine Arts Academy at McCallum High School will hold its Open House for prospective students at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6. Eighth-grade students and their families will have a chance to learn about the Academy programs, learn about the application process and meet Academy teachers and students. The Open House will be in the theatre of the school, at 5600 Sunshine Drive.
The Fine Arts Academy is a diverse program with more than 500 students who have come from every AISD middle school. Examples of the Academy¹s summer arts activities:
Academy theatre students and their teachers studied in Costa Rica; competed at the national Thespian Festival in Nebraska, and performed in Seussical, the AISD Summer Musical

68 Academy music students competed at Texas State Solo and Ensemble in June.
120 choir and orchestra students performed Schubert¹s Mass at Carnegie Hall.
For more information, call 414-7506.

PREVENTION IS THE BEST CURE
We can’t say it enough: personal hygiene, particularly hand-washing is your child’s best weapon against the swine flu (and other germs too!) this fall and winter. If you haven’t seen it yet, the video linked below is a great educational tool. Please watch it and learn along with your children a good habit we can all adopt to help stop the spread of germs and viruses. www.coughsafe.com/media.html

FREE RECYCLING OF BATTERIES, OIL, PAINT (LATEX) and ANTI-FREEZE
The Southwest Texas Chapter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action is offering a free recycling collection on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 8 to 11 a.m., for items that many find difficult to recycle. The collection is open to all noncommercial members of the community. Simply drive up, provide your zip code, and volunteers will help unload your items.

The collection will accept ONLY the following:
_ Batteries (household, auto)
_ Oil in a closed container (motor oil, cooking oil)
_ Paint in a closed container (latex only, wet or dry)
_ Antifreeze in a closed container
_ Handheld electronics (phones, media players, games)
_ CFL bulbs (unbroken glass only)

The location is the parking lot north of St. John’s United Methodist Church, 2140 Allandale Road (2222 @ Burnet Road) that is shared with Lamar Middle School. After the collection volunteers will take these items to local recycling facilities.

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 9/24/09

BULLDOG BARK

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Sept. 25 – School Pictures
Sept. 26 – Brentwood gardening, 9 a.m. at circle drive
Sept. 28 – Math Pentatholon Parent Info Meeting, 7 p.m., library

Oct. 5-9 – Scholastic Book Fair, library
Oct. 7 – PTA No-Hassle Fundraiser begins
Oct. 15 – PTA meeting, “How to help your child with homework,” 6:30 p.m., café
Oct. 19 – Student Holiday, parent-teacher conferences
Oct. 21 – PTA No-Hassle Fundraiser Ends, report cards go home
Oct. 21 – CAC Meeting, 5:30 p.m., library
Oct. 24 – Brentwood “One World” Carnival, 3-7 p.m.

***SCHOOL PICTURES TOMORROW!***

COME GET DIRTY
Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who have come out the past few Saturday mornings to work on the teaching gardens! If you want to do it again or missed it last time, you’ll have another chance to get dirty and have some fun this Saturday morning. Volunteers are needed to shovel new soil into gardens at Brentwood so that fall planting can begin! Please meet at the circle driveway at 9 a.m. Children are welcome to help and there are some adult and child-sized shovels at the school. If you have your own shovels and gloves, please bring those as well. Also, if anyone has a pick-up truck we can borrow or send you to pick up dirt, please contact Annie Harnett at ahartnett@grandecom.net. Thanks!

WE NEED HOMEROOM PARENTS
We still need homeroom parents for about half the classes at Brentwood! Please consider helping out your child’s teacher in this special way. If you have any questions about this great job, please contact Jessica Arellano (arellano.jessica@gmail.com or 736-4257) or Andrea Roberts (roberts_andrea@sbcglobal.net or 323-6974). Here are the teachers that still need a homeroom parent:
Young (PPCD), Bilich (Pre-K), Fisher (K), Calderon (1), Castillo (1), Baldwin (K), Breckenridge (2), Obregon (2), Avey/Tierney (4/5), Mahlstadt/Svrcek (2/3), Rodriguez (3), McClain(3), Gonzalez (5), Odea (5)

ONE WORLD CARNIVAL SPOOKTACULAR
Come explore Africa, Australia, the United Kingdom, the USA, and Canada, Mexico, and Asia. There will be booths, bounce houses, and activities this year. Costumes are welcome! There will be food and drinks from Taco Deli, Craig O’s, Jim Jim’s Ice, and Thunderbird Coffee. Don’t forget our traditional Haunted House! We will also have the second annual spooky story contest for 4th and 5th graders. Here are ways you can help:
• Look for the sign-up sheets outside your child’s classroom to volunteer for your class booth. If everyone gives and hour or two, the carnival will be a great success.
• We are looking for cultural acts to participate in our carnival. If you know of anyone who would love to perform, please contact Lisa Boone at lboone@grandecom.net or 512-796-6752.
• Could you be a spook for the Haunted House? This is a great way for a Brentwood alumni in middle school or high school to give back and have fun.
• If you know of any service groups who are interested in giving back to the local community for this event, contact Lisa at lboone@grandecom.net or 512-796-6752.

AISD STRATEGIC PLANNIING SURVEY
AISD is looking for input with its Strategic Planning. This plan will set the direction for our district and this is your opportunity to make your voice heard. The deadline is today, Sept. 24.
http://www.austinisd.org/inside/initiatives/strategic_plan/framework.phtml

MATH PENTATHOLON PARENT INFO MEETING
Monday, Sept. 28th, 7 p.m., in the library
Come find out all about Brentwood’s new Math Pentatholon after school program for 2nd-5th graders. Math Pentatholon is a program of interactive problem-solving games, which strengthens basic math concepts and skill and stimulates creative thinking while developing problem-solving skills. A critical feature of the program is the linkage of arithmetic reasoning with geometric/spatial and logical/scientific thinking. And, it’s FUN!

TEACHER VOLUNTEER NEEDS
The volunteer coordinators for the PTA and the school are trying to match up parent and community volunteers to teacher and student needs. Here are some current needs. Contact Andrea Roberts (roberts_andrea@sbcglobal.net) or Luz Suarez-Wallace (super_longhorn@yahoo.com) to help out!
Long/Sluyter – K/1
1. Assist students during centers (M-F, 10:50-11:45)
2. Assist students during writer’s workshop (M-F, 1:50-2:20)
3. Wednesday folders (W afternoon)
4. Display and file student work (M-F, 9:15-10:00)
5. Read with students (M-F, 7:45-8:05)
6. Make copies (M-F, 9:15-10:00)
7. Prepare materials at home and/or school (TBA)

Slaten – Library
1. Escort kinder and 1st graders to library for new library books (mornings)
2. Shelve books and process new books
3. Make copies
4. Update bulletin boards
5. Assist with library programs – birthday book club, book club
6. Assist children during Scholastic Book Fairs (Oct. 5-9 and May 17-21)

Go Green/Environmental Club
1. Assist Amy Cox during Monday meetings after school
2. Garden upkeep

Anderson – Art
1. Hang artwork for shows (once a month or so, file art back into student files)
2. Help with school website

Brown – Special Ed.
1. Help organize and set up files for a few hours, on a weekend morning
2. Put together a teaching easel (about 1 hour)
3. Be a caring mentor for a child with special needs

Calderon – 1st grade bilingual
1. Assist students during centers (M-F, 10:45-12:15)
2. Assist students during writer’s workshop (Tue-F, 2:00-2:35)
3. Display and file student work (M-F, 9:30-10:00)
4. Read with students (M-F, 7:45-8:05)
5. Make copies (M-F, 9:15-10:00)
6. Prepare materials at home and/or school

Noble, Suttle – AI-PPCD
1. Go to Read Elem. and make die-cut shapes (1-2 times a month)

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.

BARK

BULLDOG BARK, SEPT. 17, 2009

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Oct. 5-9 – Scholastic Book Fair, library
Oct. 7 – PTA No-Hassle Fundraiser begins
Oct. 15 – PTA Meeting, “How to help your child with homework,” 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 – Student Holiday, parent-teacher conferences
Oct. 21 – PTA No-Hassle Fundraiser ends, report cards go home
Oct. 21 – CAC Meeting, 5:30 p.m., library
Oct. 24 – Brentwood “One World” Carnival, 3 – 7 p.m.

PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO JOIN PTA!
Remember the membership envelopes that went home a couple of weeks ago? Don’t let them sit around your house! Please don’t forget to put $7 per parent/guardian inside the envelope and turn it in to your child’s teacher. If you want to support your child’s school, joining PTA is a great way to do that. Please contact Lisa Boone at lboone@grandecom.net if you have questions. Thank you to all of the wonderful members who’ve already joined!

BE SURE YOU’RE IN THE BRENTWOOD DIRECTORY
Permission slips for the school directory went home in yesterday’s Wednesday folder. Please return these to your teacher ASAP to make sure your child and family are included. Families use the directory for making birthday invitations, catching up on homework assignments, setting playdates and much more, so don’t be left out!

READ IT FORWARD
The Brentwood Library kicked off an exciting reading program this week called “Read It Forward.” This program is based on the idea from the movie “Pay It Forward.” Forty copies of the book “No Talking,” by Andrew Clements, are being passed through the school for children, teachers and parents to read and then pass it on to someone else to read. We can’t wait to hear about the dialogue that goes on in the school about the book. The library will also offer some afterschool sessions with activities related to the book.

TURN YOUR HANDS PURPLE — Do you like those funky, colorful, tie-dye T-shirts that Brentwood kids wear on field trips? Well, we need parents to help students tie and dye these custom-designed shirts that make our students stand out! Contact Lisa Holden at lholden@austin.rr.com or Lisa Doyal at mrsdoyal@hotmail.com if you can help for one class or for years to come! (Keep the tradition going! The two tie-dying Lisas will be at Brentwood for only one more year!)

DREAM DINNERS FUND-RAISER FOR BRENTWOOD
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.

Be sure to let Dream Dinners know you are a friend of Brentwood! All money raised from this event will go to the Brentwood PTA to benefit the school. The special lasts only through November!

HELP SHAPE AISD PLANS
The Austin school district is looking for parent and community input on its strategic plan for 2010-2013. A “community conversation” will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Travis High School Cafeteria, at 1211 E. Oltorf St. The goal is to gather input on the strategic plan’s framework — its mission, vision, values, goals, strategies and measurable outcomes. The proposed framework, and other information related to the planning process, are available at: http://www.austinisd.org/inside/initiatives/strategic_plan/ A second community conversation to gather input on the plan itself will be in October. If you’re interested in attending, you should pre-register online at the above website, where you can also provide input online. Contact Joey Crumley, Planning Supervisor, Office of Planning and Community Relations, at 414-9961, or jcrumley@austinisd.org for more info.

GIRL SCOUTS
The Girls Scouts are having a Miss Spider Tea Party on Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the Brentwood cafeteria for girls in kindergarten and first grade interested in becoming Daisy Scouts. Come to learn more!

COMMUNITY NEWS
MAKE A BEELINE FOR “BEEHIVE”
The McCallum Fine Arts Academy Theatre Department would like to invite all students and parents to “Beehive.” This for-all-ages musical is a great chance for your students to see what theater is like in high school. The show is at 7 p.m. at McCallum High School, 5600 Sunshine Drive, on Sept. 17, 18, 19, 24, 25 and 26. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. on Sept. 20 and 27. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for students and seniors. Tickets are available online at www.mactheatre.com Special rates are available for groups by emailing Hillary Miller at hmiller@arcmd.com or hmiller@austin.rr.com

GIVE INPUT FOR CRESTVIEW STATION
The Highland Park neighborhood has put together a survey regarding business development in the nearly complete Crestview Station. It takes only 5 minutes. The survey deadline is Oct. 31. The neighborhood’s site is
www.highlandneighborhood.com and the survey site is http://sites.google.com/a/highlandneighborhood.com/site/Home/survey .

VISIT MUSEUMS FOR FREE
Sunday, Sept. 20th, is the annual Austin Museum Day, where admission is free to 28 institutions, including places like the Austin Children’s Museum and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. For a list of all participating museums and their hours, go to www.austinmuseums.org.
The Blanton Museum of Art will also be a part of the free day, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Congress Avenue. Families can explore the collection and the exhibition “Francisco Matto: The Modern and the Mythic” and learn about art through tours, games and art activities.

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 9/10/09

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Sept. 10 – Chick-n-Chat/PTA meeting tonight, 6:30 p.m. in the café
Sept. 11 – Grandparents Day lunch
Sept. 16 – CAC meeting, 5:30 p.m. in the library

Oct. 19 – Student Holiday, parent-teacher conferences
Oct. 24 – Brentwood “One World” Carnival, 3 – 7 p.m.

CHICK-N-CHAT TONIGHT!!
Our annual beginning of school potluck dinner and PTA meeting is tonight at 6 p.m. in the café! The school and PTA provide the chicken and drinks, you bring a side. Come and chat with teachers, parents, students and staff. The PTA meeting will follow shortly after everyone has a plate of food.
Agenda:
6:55 Call meeting to order, thank donors
7:00 Principal welcome and teacher introductions
7:15 Introduction of the PTA Board
7:20 Review of PTA accomplishments and this year’s goals
7:25 School wide & PTA volunteer opportunities and sign-up procedures
7:30 Carnival discussion – Lisa Boone
7:40 No-Hassle Fundraiser – Lisa Roe
7:45 Treasurer’s Report – Jennifer Dias
7:50 Adoption of 09-10 budget
7:55 Vote to change Treasurer and VP positions
8:00 Questions and Answers
8:05 Meeting adjourned

PTA VOLUNTEERS MEMBERS NEEDED
There are 3 important PTA positions available: Treasurer, Corresponding Secretary, and Volunteer Coordinator. If you would like to become more involved at the school and hold a leadership position, please contact Carla Umlauf-Cheesar, PTA President at 567-1478 or carla@aveone.com.

GRANDPARENTS DAY LUNCH
In honor of Grandparents Day on Sunday, Sept. 13, Brentwood would like to invite our grandparents to have lunch with their grandchild(ren) on Friday, Sept. 11. Please sign in at the front office first.

BOX TOP BONANZA AT HEB
If you buy 10 box top items at one time at HEB, then you can receive a coupon for 70 box tops. Sometimes the coupon machine is not working, so you may have to be nice but firm in order to get the coupon. HEB is currently having a contest with all the schools in Texas. The top 3 schools with the highest box top/student ratio will receive $10,000. We could definitely use the money, so let’s rally! Contact Karrie Mannella at karriemannella@aol.com for more information.

BRENTWOOD “ONE WORLD” CARNIVAL
Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009
4 p.m.- 8 p.m.
Have you ever been to Africa, Australia, Asia, United Kingdom, Canada, or Mexico? You will get to experience all of these places at our One World Carnival this Oct. 24th. WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO MAKE THIS EVENT HAPPEN!! If you are interested in volunteering, please call Lisa Boone at 796-6752 or email her at lboone@grandecom.net.
We need volunteers for the following jobs:
Food and Drinks
Volunteer Coordinator
Media Exposure and PR (Anne-Charlotte Patterson)
Pre-Sale Tickets (Lisa Roe)
Working the Ticket and T-shirt sales tables
Organizing a booth
Face Painting
Spooky Story Contest Judge
Volunteer to play music/DJ
Haunted House set-up (DOGS, Dads Of Great Students)
Haunted House breakdown (DOGS)
Haunted House ghoul
Look for more information coming home next week!

AMY COX AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB IN THE STATESMAN
Brentwood’s composting program, Amy Cox, and our hard-working volunteers have a mention in the Austin-American Statesman yesterday. Check out the Life section. You can also read the article online at this link: http://www.austin360.com/food_drink/content/food_drink/stories/2009/09/0909relishaustin.html

DAISY GIRL SCOUT TROOP
There are going to be Daisy’s at Brentwood! If you are interested in your Kinder or 1st grade daughter joining Girl Scouts, please contact Lesley Guerrero for more information: lesleyguerrero@yahoo.com.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Call for Art Entries, Volunteers, and Procession Participants – Viva la Vida Fest
Aug 1-Sep 30
This year, Mexic-Arte Museum will present its 26th annual Dia de los Muertos as Viva la Vida Fest to celebrate life by promoting health and environmental awareness through art and culture.
Call for Art Entries: We are calling for original contemporary art works and altars using Day of the Dead imagery; although it is not required, we encourage the incorporation of recycled, re-used, or sustainable materials, or a focus on the themes of environment and/or health.
Call for Volunteers: Volunteer opportunities are available in set-up/clean-up, concessions, eco-team, childrens activities, admissions/info, and stage management.
Call for Procession Participants Mexic-Arte Museum invites all individuals, families, and organizations in the community to participate in costume, with props, instruments, bicycles, floats, and more!
To register – please e-mail info@mexic-artemuseum.org or call (512) 480-9373. For more information, visit www.mexic-artemuseum.org

GREEN TIP – KEEP AUSTIN’S AIR QUALITY GOOD (NOT WEIRD)
Did you know? “The Austin region is down to the wire on staying within ozone limitations this year – and fending off an EPA designation that could hinder the region for the next 20 years.* August and September historically have the highest number of days when ground-level ozone measurements exceed the federal standard.” The area’s “Big Push” campaign is making one last push – and it needs the public and businesses alike to rise to the challenge. (“One Last Push for Central Texas Air Quality ‘Big Push’,”City of Austin 8/18/08 news release)
What you can do: Sign-up for email alerts to let you know about an “ozone alert” one day in advance: www.cleanairforce.org. These are days we should avoid driving as much as we can.
Then, as much as you can in September, and especially on Ozone Alert Days….
Give your car a rest:
*Walk or bike or carpool when you can. Check out these two resources to help you find a bus or bicycle route, organize a vanpool or match you with a carpool:
www.rcrides.com
http://www.capmetro.org/planner/
http://www.me2bus.com/austin/ (this site works great on your mobile device)
* Combine errands and offer to grocery shop for your neighbors!
* Avoid idling your car (especially around the school) avoid drive-thru’s.
* Work from home when you can.

Reduce electricity consumption:
* Turn off the lights
* Set your thermostat 2 degrees warmer than normal, especially when you’re leaving the house or sleeping.
* Consider Compact Fluorescent Bulbs for lights you use the most.
* Only run a dishwasher when it’s full.
* Consider line-drying your clothes.
For more tips, visit http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/airquality/dosomething.htm

Also, encourage your employer to sign up for the for the Commuter Challenge starting this week, and to join Clean Air Partners.
Commuter Challenge: Sept. 7 – Sept. 19
Register at www.rcride.com

* If we do get named as a region in violation of the ozone standard in June 2010, we will be required to take more stringent measures to reduce ozone emissions, which makes it more costly for industry to do business in Austin, making Austin a less attractive economic hub. Also, we could have federal highway funding withheld if we do not meet our timelines for cleaning up our air below the ozone standard.

Hope to see you tonight at the Chick-n-Chat!

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.

BARK, Sept. 3, 2009

As the schoolyear gets started, there is a lot of information to share, so grab your reading glasses and a soft chair. Not all the Barks will be so long, but this week, we have plenty of news for Brentwood parents.

BULLDOG BARK, SEPT. 3, 2009

Sept. 3 – Back to School Night for fourth- and fifth-grade parents, 6:30 p.m. in classroom
Sept. 7 – Labor Day, No School
Sept. 9 – Back to School Night for kindergarten parents, 6:30 p.m. in classroom
Sept. 10 – Chick-n-Chat/PTA meeting, 6:30 pm in the café
Sept. 16 – CAC meeting, 5:30 pm. in the library

Oct. 19 – Student holiday, parent-teacher conferences
Oct. 24 – Brentwood “One World” Carnival, 3 to 7 p.m.

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS
Back to School Nights continue for each grade level. Parents of fourth- and fifth-graders will meet at their children’s classrooms from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. tonight (Sept. 3). Kindergarten parents will meet in their classrooms from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9.

CHICK-N-CHAT
The Chik-n-Chat will be Sept. 10 at 6:30 pm. Yummy fried chicken will be provided by the school and PTA; guests are asked to bring a side dish as their contribution to this annual potluck. The first PTA meeting of the year will follow shortly after everyone has a plate of food.

GARDENING
Grab your shovels and meet us Saturday, Sept. 5, at 8 a.m. for our first gardening workday. We will be creating a learning garden for the 2nd-grade classes. Meet in the space between the 200 and 300 wings. Please bring shovels, gloves and a rototiller, if you have one.

Gardening plans for this year include several vegetable gardens, a native plant garden, a butterfly garden, an herb garden, and several container gardens. To help us reuse and recycle while making our container gardens, please donate any large tubs or containers. Old blue recycling bins work very well. If you have a bin or tub (or old wheelbarrow or whatever else you think might work) to donate, please contact Annie at ahartnett@grandecom.net.

PIZZA NIGHT
Every first Thursday of the month (that’s tonight, Sept. 3), CraigO’s Pizza and Pastaria gives 10 percent of its total nightly sales back to Brentwood Elementary. Enjoy an Italian dinner tonight, while helping out the school. CraigO’s is at 5501 Balcones Drive (at MoPac and 2222).

BOX TOPS
Remember: Friday, Sept. 4, is the last day to turn in all those box tops that you clipped and saved over the summer for the Box Tops Summer Challenge. Please put box tops in a baggie with the student’s name, teacher’s name, grade and the number of box tops. Students can turn them in to their teachers or at the box tops store. Prizes will be awarded!

WHAT IS THE CAC?
Every Austin school has a Campus Advisory Council (CAC). This is a committee of parents, teachers, community/business people and staff that advises and counsels the principal on school matters – though the principal makes the final decisions. Brentwood’s CAC meets on the third Wednesday of each month (not in December) at 5:30 p.m. in the library. The agenda is posted in the school hallway the Friday before the meetings, which are open to the public. This month, the CAC meets on Sept. 16.

DON’T FORGET TO JOIN PTA
Membership envelopes went home in yesterday’s Wednesday folders. Please help your child’s school by joining PTA and returning your dues envelopes. We can’t do it without you!

HOW THE CAFETERIA WORKS — AND OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION
Check out the “PTA’s Insider’s Guide to Brentwood.” This useful guide contains all kinds of indepth information, from how to check out library books to how to find items in the lost in found. Look on the PTA Web site at http://brentwoodpta.wordpress.com/ On the right side of the home page, click on “PTA’s Insider’s Guide to Brentwood.”

Here’s a sample of the thorough explanations you can find there. This is about how to pay for your child’s lunch at the cafeteria:
How does my child pay for lunch? Each child has a lunch money account that parents or guardians fund. At the end of the cafeteria line, children punch in their four-digit code. The cashier has a list of names and codes in case children forget their codes.
How do I add lunch money to the account? You can put cash in a sealed envelope with the names of your child and the teacher on the outside. You may send the money to the teacher in your child’s daily folder or drop it by the cafeteria and hand it to a cashier after drop off.

The easiest way to add money to your child’s account is to sign up online at www.MyLunchMoney.com. You put money into the account with a credit card, and you can check the meal history to see what your child has been buying. You can allow your child to buy meals and snacks, which includes milk, or you can restrict what they buy to just meals.

If the lunch account gets low, the cashier will give your child a wristband that says the account needs more money. They will let the lunch accounts go a little bit into the red, but you’ll get a phone call if it gets below a certain amount. Children whose accounts are in the red aren’t allowed to buy ice cream.

ARE YOU GOOD WITH NUMBERS?
If you are, and you want to make an important contribution to your child’s school, the PTA has a job for you! We are looking for a TREASURER because our wonderful new school secretary, Ms. Dias, has had to step down as PTA Treasurer. The treasurer’s duties include writing checks, making deposits, and giving financial reports. Please contact PTA President Carla Umlauf-Cheesar at 512-567-1478 or email at carla@aveone. com if you’d like to find out more.

GIFTED AND TALENTED NOMINATIONS
It’s time for parent nominations for the Gifted and Talented testing (2nd-5th grade students). Ask your child’s teacher for the nomination form, fill it out and then turn it in no later than Sept. 28 to your child’s teacher or to Ms. Gray. Testing will be in early October and results will be sent out by mid-November. Questions? Please contact Ms. Gray cgray1@austinisd.org

CARNIVAL COMING SOON
Have you ever been to Africa, Australia, Asia, the United Kingdom, Canada or Mexico? You will get to experience all of these places at Brentwood’s One World Carnival, from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. But of course, we need volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering, please call Lisa Boone at 796-6752 or email lboone@grandecom.net.
We need volunteers for the following:
Food and drinks
Volunteer coordinator
Tickets/t-shirt sales
Booth planning
Face painting
Spooky Story Contest judge
Musicians
Haunted House set up (Dads Of Great Students “DOGS” will be doing this.)
Haunted house breakdown – DOGS
Haunted House ghoul

IN THE COMMUNITY

LOVE YOUR LIBRARIAN
You can nominate your favorite librarian for the Carnegie Corp. of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award! Up to 10 public, school and college/university librarians will be honored. Each will receive $5,000 and be recognized at an awards ceremony hosted by The New York Times at TheTimesCenter in December.
You can go to www.ilovelibraries.org/lovemylibrarian/home.cfm to get the nomination form and find more information. Nominations close Oct. 9. Winners will be announced in November. By the way, Brentwood’s librarian is the intrepid Kate Slaten.

GARDEN CAMPS
Candis Clarke has volunteered many hours to Brentwood for the past 3 years. This year she will continue her Gardening Club during the school day,as well as serve as gardening consultant to teachers who have gardens on our campus. Ms. Candis also offers afterschool and holiday camps (not affiliated with the PTA or school) at her Crestview home:

For more info, visit www.gardenheads.net or email 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 (main office)
www.brentwoodelementarypta.com

Join this group and receive a weekly email during the school year with important information about Brentwood Elementary:
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/brentwood-elementary

Bulldog Bark 8/27/09

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Aug. 29 – Ballet de Folklorico de Texas performance, 7:30 p.m., Zilker Hillside Theater
Aug. 30 – last open day for Brentwood Pool
Aug. 31 – Back to School Night for 1st grade, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Sept. 1 – Back to School Night for 2nd grade and 2/3 multiage, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Sept. 1 – new car seat law in effect (see below)
Sept. 2 – Back to School Night for 3rd grade and ¾ multiage, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Sept. 3 – Back to School Night for 4th and 5th grade, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Sept. 7 – Labor Day, No School
Sept. 9 – Back to School Night for kindergarten, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Sept. 10 – Back to School Chick-n-Chat, 6:30 pm in the café
Sept. 16 – CAC meeting, 5:30 pm. in the library

Oct. 21 – CAC meeting, 5:30 p.m. in the library
Oct. 24 – Brentwood “One World” Carnival, 4-8 p.m.

ARE YOU GOOD WITH NUMBERS?
If you are, and you want to make an important contribution to your child’s school, the PTA has a job for you! We are looking for a TREASURER because our wonderful new school secretary, Ms. Dias, has had to step down as PTA Treasurer. The treasurer’s duties include writing checks, making deposits, and giving financial reports. Please contact PTA President Carla Umlauf-Cheesar at 512-567-1478 or email at carla@aveone.com if you’d like to find out more.

SEND YOUR RECYCLE/REUSE ITEMS TO THE ART COTTAGE!!
Items that Ms. Anderson can use:
- Plastic containers with lids. Re-use instead of recycle! Cottage cheese, yogurt, deli, entrée-size microwave dishes… we can use these in art class!
- Small clean-up towels, about the size of a hand towel. We could also cut up larger towels.
- Have extra old scrubs? We have a set of 21 hospital scrub shirts that we use for art smocks and we need about 5 more to “cover” our larger kinder classes. Any size will do. I have adult mediums now and they are even too small for some of our biggest kiddos, so large would still be ok.

NEW CHILD BOOSTER SEAT LAW
A new law regarding child booster seats takes effect on Sept. 1. SB 61 requires that all children younger that 8 years old and less than four feet nine inches tall be in a child safety seat while riding in a car. You can find out more about this and other new child safety measures, including how to apply for free booster seats, at the Texas Dept. of State Health Services Safe Riders Home site, www.dshs.state.tx.us/saferiders/default.shtm. More information is also at Safekids, www.usa.safekids.org, and Seatcheck, www.seatcheck.org.

YOUR TEACHER NEEDS YOU!
Every teacher needs a homeroom parent for the school year. Homeroom parents keep in touch with the teacher, asking if he/she needs any assistance. They keep a current list of contact numbers and/or email addresses of the classroom parents, so that information can be dispersed and volunteers recruited as needed. Homeroom parents also help the teacher plan and organize the holiday party in December, and another end of year party in May, as well as help facilitate Teacher Appreciation week with the homeroom parent coordinators. This is a great way to form a special friendship with your child’s teacher! To volunteer or get more information, please contact one of the Homeroom Parent Coordinators:
Jessica Arellano 736-4257 arellano.jessica@gmail.com
Andrea Roberts 323-6974 roberts_andrea@sbcglobal.net

BOO-HOO/WHOO-HOO BREAKFAST
Thank you to all our new parents who joined us at the Boo-Hoo/Whoo-hoo Breakfast on Monday morning. The PTA would like to thank Elsi’s (http://www.elsisrestaurant.com) and San Francisco Bakery (http://www.sfbaustin.com/) for their tasty donations. Thank you, Lisa Boone lboone@grandecom.net

BRENTWOOD RECYCLES!
In the last 2 years, Brentwood has collected various materials and has made some money from recycling them. Last year, we collected the following:
3,000 bottle corks
2,400 energy bar wrappers (with foil lining only)
40 cell phones
300 punds of batteries
60 pounds of printer cartridges
21 crocs!
We will continue to collect the same materials this school year. Money raised will be used for the Environmental Club and any recycling containers that we may need. White collection bins are located across from the main office. If you work in an office, we would love all donations of ink jet toner cartridges. We can get a significant credit from Office Depot for toner cartridges to be used for Club supplies. If you have ideas, questions, or would like to assist with “greening’ efforts at Brentwood, please contact Amy Cox at amyo69@hotmail.com.

BRENTWOOD “ONE WORLD” CARNIVAL
Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009
4 p.m.- 8 p.m.
Have you ever been to Africa, Australia, Asia, United Kingdom, Canada, or Mexico? You will get to experience all of these places at our One World Carnival this Oct. 24th. WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO MAKE THIS EVENT HAPPEN!! If you are interested in volunteering, please call Lisa Boone at 796-6752 or email her at lboone@grandecom.net.
We need volunteers for the following jobs:
Food and Drinks
Volunteer Coordinator
Media Exposure and PR (Anne-Charlotte Patterson)
Pre-Sale Tickets (Lisa Roe)
Working the Ticket and T-shirt sales tables
Organizing a booth
Face Painting
Spooky Story Contest Judge
Volunteer to play music/DJ
Haunted House set-up (DOGS, Dads Of Great Students)
Haunted House breakdown (DOGS)
Haunted House ghoul
There is something for everyone!

COMMUNITY EVENTS

TAKE ONE LAST DIP
These are the last few days that our Brentwood Pool is open! The last scheduled day is Sunday, Aug. 30.

BALLET DE FOLKLORICO
Come to this free performance at the Zilker Hillside Theater with your family this Sat., Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m. Just don’t forget the blanket, snacks, cold drinks, and paper fans!

We hope this first week of school has been a good one!

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.