BULLDOG BARK
Sept. 25, 2008
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Mon./Tues., Sept. 29-30 – Vision and hearing tests, pre-K, kindergarten and new students
Tues., Sept. 30 – Brentwood PTA donations due for Keep It Simple Fundraiser
Sat., Oct. 4 – Marathon Kids Kickoff, 9 a.m.
Fri., Oct. 10, Coffee with the Principal, in Conference Room. Topics: Year at a glance and Q&A, 8 to 9 a.m.
Mon., Oct. 13 – Student Holiday, Parent and Teacher Conferences
Wed., Oct. 15 — CAC meeting in the Library, 5:30 p.m.
Fri, Oct. 17 — McCallum vertical team PTA roundtable at Gullett, noon
Wed., Oct. 22 Report Card Day
Sat., Oct. 25 – Brentwood Carnival
CARNIVAL COMING
Brentwood’s “Spooktacular” Carnival is Saturday, October 25, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Come enjoy children’s entertainer/singer Joe McDermott in concert! A $5 donation is suggested. If you dare, walk the halls of our annual Haunted House. Eat great food from Taco Deli! Dance your heart out at our karaoke sing-along! For more information or if you want to volunteer or donate a prize, please contact Lisa Boone at lboone@grandecom.net or 796-6752.
KEEP IT SIMPLE KEEPS GOING
For PTA’s fundraiser this year, there’s nothing to sell, no orders to keep track of. With our Keep it Simple Fundraiser, we’re simply asking each family to give what they can, whether that’s $5 or $500. Donations are due by Tuesday, September 30. These tax-deductible direct donations mean 100% of your gift benefits Brentwood students. And each donation of $10 or more comes with one PTA membership.
The fundraising flier and membership envelopes went out in last week’s Wednesday folder. Please don’t wait — make your donation now. Just fill out the slip at the bottom of the flier and send it with your gift in the attached membership envelope. Please send the envelope back in your child’s daily folder — and don’t forget to fill out all the information! Please pass on a copy of the flier or send an email to your friends and family members with a link to our online donation site.
Online donors should go to www.brentwoodelementarypta.com and look for the “Donate” link on the right side. Donations can also be mailed to Brentwood PTA, 6700 Arroyo Seco, Austin, TX, 78757.
PTA has some great plans for this year, including getting a climbing wall for the gym and making sure more teachers get Tribes training. We’ll also be repeating the Earth Day Festival and adding a community festival in the spring. We can do a lot this year, but we need your help to make it happen. If you need more information, please email Lisa Roe, PTA treasurer, at lwroe@grandecom.net. Thanks for your support!
GREEN NEWS
Our recycling efforts are growing! We are collecting the following in our new recycling bins:
1. Plastic Grocery Bags
2. Energy, Granola, Nutrition, Cereal and Protein Bar wrappers with an inner foil lining
3. Wine Bottle Corks
4. Thick Phone Books
5. Batteries (rechargeable and non-rechargeable)
6. Working and Non-Working Electronics: cell phones ink-jet cartridges ipods digital cameras and videocameras.
New recycling bins are clearly marked and located outside of the main office, near the front doors of the school. You may bring these items at any time or send them with your child. Are you curious why we are collecting this odd assortment of “trash?” We are collecting batteries solely to keep them out of the landfill. HEB will buy our plastic bags for $1 per pound. Snack bar wrappers and corks are recycled through www.terracycle.net and our school makes a small amount of money. Phone books will be covered and used as booster seats for our little ones to sit comfortably on the carpet. Electronics will be recycled through www.ecophones.com and Brentwood makes a small profit. Print this list for your home, your relatives and your workplace. Let your child be in-charge of collecting and recycling at school. Every little bit helps!
RECYCLING RANGERS
Mrs. Gonzalez, a 5th-grade teacher, is leading Recycling Rangers this year. Students will be collecting teacher’s recycling bins from 12-12:30 p.m. Thursdays. If you can volunteer to help at this time, please contact Amy Cox, acox1@austinisd.org.
ENVIRONMENTAL CLUBS
Our Environmental Clubs have grown! We have three clubs this year consisting of 45 students. Our first club meeting for students in 1st/2nd grades will be on Monday, September 29. Students in grades 3-5 will have their first meeting on Monday, October 6. All club members should meet outside of the main office right after school and should be picked up in the circular drive at 4 p.m.
Lastly, a web site worth checking out is www.teensygreen.com (activities, books, etc.).
BOX TOPS
We need everyone to save their box tops for the HEB box tops contest. The top 3 schools will receive $10,000 worth of box tops. Also if you go to HEB and buy 10 box tops items, you will get a paper worth 70 box tops. It is on the coupon that prints out at the register. Make sure the coupon machine is working! You can go to www.boxtops4education.com and print coupons for several items.
We also need everyone to go the www.boxtops4education and sign up to get the newsletter. We will get 5 box tops for each person who signs up. (You can check that you do not want to receive e-mails.) This is free money just for signing up. Get everyone you know to sign up. That is 50 cents for each person who signs up.
OUTDOOR SCHOOL
The Avey/Tierney 4/5 multiage and the Gonzalez 5th-grade classes would like to give a huge “Thank You!” to the PTA, for funding our buses to the Outdoor School, in Marble Falls. As a reminder, the classes will be leaving at 10 a.m. Monday, September 29, and returning by 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 30. We’re sure to have a great time, thanks to you!
FAMILY MUSIC
Family Music Meltdown II is 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, September 27, at Ruta Maya Coffee House, 3601 S. Congress Ave. The lineup features Mr. Leebot, Telephone Company, Laura Freeman, Super Pal Universe and Joe McDermott. Cost is $5; babies are free.
WEBMASTER NEEDED
Brentwood is looking for a Webmaster volunteer to create/maintain a school website. We currently have a district-provided school website, but we would like one a little more “personal,” that reflects the uniqueness of Brentwood Elementary. Coordination with PTA, teachers, and the front office will be required. Contact Mr. Reese, jreese@austinisd.org, for more information.
REESE’S PIECES 4TH GRADE
Reese/Gray – 4th grade field trip to the Blanton Art Museum on Friday, September 26.
GARDENING BEE
Just a reminder, that every Wednesday from 3 to 4 p.m., meet near the front entrance of school to help weed and water and whatever else needs to be done to help keep Brentwood beautiful. Bring your own gardening gloves, trowels, and other implements. People who know something about gardening are begged to attend! Children are welcome to help or can play on the nearby playground. Thanks, Annie Hartnett (451-7949)
MARATHON KIDS KICKOFF
The kickoff for the annual Marathon Kids is 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at UT’s Mike Myers Stadium. This is a free family-oriented event. All Brentwood students have been registered for Marathon Kids this year. For more information, check out www.marathonkids.org.
Have a great week!
Andrea Roberts
Carolyn Lindell
Brentwood Elementary PTA
6700 Arroyo Seco, Austin, TX 78757
www.brentwoodelementarypta.com
Join this group and get a weekly email during the school year with important information about Brentwood Elementary: www.groups.yahoo.com/group/brentwood-elementary
