Friday Flyer May 30 2003

Bennett Friday Flyer
May - 30 -03

A bi-monthly newsletter of the Bennett Elementary School PTSA 2.3.22

Dear Bennett Families

We are at the end of our Teacher Appreciation Week and the PTSA want to express their heartfelt thanks for everything the teachers, specialists and support staff do for our kids! I know all of the students have spent the week making their teachers feel special and appreciated. Even with the weeks end, take a moment to express your personal thanks for everything the Bennett Staff has done for your family. I know they love hearing the praise!

Thank you everyone who participated in the Sock Hop'n Auction. It takes many volunteers including the Sock Hop Committee, the Auction Committee, the Room Parents, the Teachers, the Support Staff, and of course all of you dedicated Bennett supporters to make the event a success! Although we had a few glitches in the evening, it ended up a fun and profitable event. We had some amazing classroom baskets, keepsakes and of course the staff contributions available at the auction. With your generous support, we raised just under $12,000.

This has been an interesting year with the changes in our fundraising plan. We have learned a lot and have heard reviews from many parents. We will probably go back to an adult-only auction for next year but continue with the very successful Mariner Raffle. Our Auction committee for next year is already putting together some fun ideas. If you would like to be involved in the Walkathon, Mariner Raffle or the Auction next year, please contact Dawn Kuipers and she will connect you with the right people. Thank you again to all of the committee members who put on this year’s fundraising events! We couldn't do it without you.

We have a few remaining events for this school year. We hope your child's Young Author book is coming along nicely. The PTSA believes strongly in supporting the visits of published authors and illustrators. They are amazing examples for our kids and we hope every child is inspired to put their heart into their creative efforts! We look forward to seeing their finished books.

The year-end parties are starting to get planned and the 5th graders are ready for graduation. For the year-end activities, we will be hosting a Field Day on Thursday, June 19th for the k-4 students while the 5th graders are at Wild Waves. The room parents are planning classroom parties for the morning of the 19th. The school is having a pizza party for lunch and the Field Day activities will run in the afternoon. Please encourage your child to wear play clothes and shoes they can run in.

Although we all look forward to summer, I can't believe the year is almost over! Thank you again to everyone who has worked so hard to give our Bennett children an enriched education!

Sincerely,

Kristine Keski

PTSA President

Calendar

June 3: Volunteer Tea, 3:30 - Library

June 5: 5th Grade Band Concert, 9:30 a.m.

June 10: DARE and 5th Grade Graduation 7:30 p.m., gym

June 19: Field Day for K-4th Grade, Wild Waves for 5th Grade

June 20: Last Day of School, Graduation

The 2003-4 PTSA Executive Board would like to invite YOU to volunteer to chair one of the following committees:

Audit Legislative Hospitality

Auction Mariner Raffle Health & Safety

BSF Liasion Young Author Reflections/co-chair

Scholarships/Awards Spring Social / Sock Hop

If you are unsure, we encourage you to ask the current chair how their year went. You can share the job with a friend (this also makes your meetings more fun!)

We will be hosting at Transition Meeting & Dessert on June 9th for the incoming and current committee chairs.

This will be a fun chance to get to know your fellow PTSA board members and to learn more about what your job will be.

Please call or Email Kristine Keski or Laura Hammond if you would like to volunteer!

GRADUATION TIME FOR OUR 5TH GRADERS!

To All 5th Grade Families and Teachers,
You are cordially invited to attend Bennett's DARE and 5th grade graduation ceremony on TUESDAY, JUNE 10TH.The event will be held in the gym and will begin at 7:30pm.Refreshments will be served after the ceremony. We know baseball games are occurring on a daily basis so come in your uniform after your game! See you then!
If you have any questions, please call Maggie Bentley, 643-0538.

This class is intended for students who have completed short term training in office skills or who have previous office experience; can type 35 wpm; and are familiar with Microsoft Office 2000 or XP

Contact the Family Workforce Development Center on campus to see if you are eligible:

Parents, don't tell your kids this, but encouraging them to read during the summer will keep their reading skills honed for the new school year, increase their reading vocabulary and help them gain in reading achievement. Best of all, if you are looking for something FUN as well as educational for your child to do during the summer, the King County Library System's FREE summer reading program could fill the bill. "Read Around the World" is this year's summer reading theme. The program is intended for children up to age 11.It's easy to join!

To sign up, bring your kids into any King County Library, including the Lake Hills and Crossroads Libraries. Signing the enrollment book entitles them to receive a colorful "passport" reading folder for recording the titles of books they have read (or had read to them). Each week they can also collect a new special sticker for their passport folder.

At Lake Hills we're also planning many exciting programs to encourage kids to read. There will be an Open House on Thursday, June 26 which will include a magic show, craft activities, games and refreshments.

Throughout the summer we'll have other international activities including: celebrating the release of the new Harry Potter book,

Passport Lunches for families, a Chinese folk tale puppet show, international music and even a program called "The Essentials of Bug Cookery!" Your child will be bringing home more information about the

Looking Forward to Middle School

Summer hasn’t even started and we want you to think about back to school. Fifth graders moving onto Highland Middle School have some exciting activities to put on their calendars for late summer. A complete information packet is mailed to families in August but here is a preview.

Save Thursday, August 28th for back to school orientation. Picking up schedules, taking a tour and meeting your 8th grade mentor are just a smattering of what goes on that day. Parents can find out how to stay connected at Highland whether you have an hour a year or an hour a day. Watch your mailbox for details.

Make sure you put Thursday, Sept 4th on your evening calendar. Highland’s annual, family oriented Back to School Barbeque is a chance for students, teachers and families to celebrate the new school year – and an excuse not to cook! Tickets will be on sale at orientation and the first few days of school.

Contrary to popular belief, middle schoolers and their staffs need and want parent support as much as in the lower grades. If you’d like to volunteer to assist in a classroom, help with the Oct 26th PTSA Auction or step up to chair a committee, we welcome you.

If there is anything we can do to make your transition to middle school smoother, don’t hesitate to call. We look forward to your joining the Highland community.

The budget teams in our state legislature are now negotiating the differences between the House and Senate budgets, and the differences on K-12 are stark.Please take the time (now) to contact legislators and make your voice heard!

The hours for the legislative hotline (1-800-562-6000) are shorter during Special Session.The hours are Monday-Friday, 8 am to 5 pm only.

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Bennett Friday Flyer May - 30 -03

Looking Forward to Middle School

Bennett Friday Flyer
May - 30 -03