Bear Branch Elementary

BEAR BRANCH BUZZ 15 October 2012

Upcoming Events

10/5-15 Scholastic Book Fair

10/15 Regular PTA Meeting – 6:40 pm in Cafeteria

10/15 4th Gr. Program – 7 pm

10/16 EAFK Jousting Tournament – 9:30 am

10/18 Early Release – 12 pm

10/18 Parent Math Night – 6:30-7:30 pm

10/22-26 Red Ribbon Week

10/25 Art Masterpiece Training

10/25 Papa John’s Spirit Night

10/26 Fall Fest – 5:00-8:30

3500 Garden Lake Drive, KW, TX 77339 Main: 281.641.1600 Cafeteria: 281.641.1608 Fax: 281.641.1617 Absence Reporting: 281.641.1619 BBE website: www.humbleisd.net/bbe HISD website: http://humble.k12.tx.us

PTA Volunteer Appreciation

Thanks to

Brian Sloane,

Jim Sterner, &

Kristi Gray

for their hard work and dedication to

volunteering at BBE! The PTA wouldn’t be

the same without you!

Parent

Please join Bear Branch math teachers for a discussion about our district math program and strategies for helping

your child experience success in math!

Date: Thursday, 18 October Time: 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Location: BBE Cafeteria

This meeting is intended for parents and guardians.

Calling all Dads, Moms, Aunts, Uncles, Grandmas, and Grandpas! The Junior Achievement Program needs

coordinator and volunteers!

The BBE PTA is looking for a Junior Achievement Coordinator and volunteers to help continue the Junior Achievement Program at BBE. Junior Achievement educates K-12th grade students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. They will provide the materials needed to teach the monthly or quarterly lessons, and training is provided.

The 5th graders at BBE are able to go to Junior Achievement Biz Town, which combines in-class learning with a day-long visit to a fully-interactive simulated town facility. The program helps students connect the dots between what they learn in school and the real world.

If you love math and business, this is the volunteer opportunity for you! If anyone is interested in helping continue this program, please contact Marilyn Mann at mommymarilynn@hotmail.com or call 832.276.6454.

Junior Achievement

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Our school is participating in the Reflections Program again this year.

Reflections encourages millions of students to express themselves by giving positive recognition for their artistic efforts. Students will compete at the appropriate division for their grade, and winners will advance to council, state, and potentially national levels.

2012-2013 Reflections Theme: The Magic of a Moment

Students in preschool through 12th grade may create and submit works of art in six categories: dance choreography, film production, literature, musical composition, photography, and visual arts.

Rules and entry forms can be found in the front office.

Introducing the Special Artist Grade Division

NEW THIS YEAR! The National PTA and Texas PTA are excited to introduce the Special Artist Division for our Reflections program. This new grade division is limited to students who have physical, cognitive, or mental health challenges as defined by the Americans with Disability Act. Currently, students with developmental challenges may enter the program in the grade division that is appropriate for their cognitive level. Parents and teachers of qualifying students may now choose to enter the student in the new Special Artist grade division or continue with the current process, but not both. Separate rules for the Special Artist Division will be available soon.

The deadline for all entries is Monday, 05 November. Entries are to be submitted in the front office.

Contact the BBE Reflections PTA Chair Jenn Morris at 832.233.8586 or at morrismanorhouse@yahoo.com for more information.

PTA Reflections Contest

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15 October 2012

BBE is joining with the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse to promote the 2012 Red Ribbon Campaign. We want to make sure that all BBE students are ready to say “NO” to drugs and alcohol. To keep in the spirit all week long, we’ll have a different theme each day. Students are encouraged to participate every day and be creative! Here are the themes for each day of Red Ribbon Week: Monday, 22 October Band Together Against Drugs – Wear Red

Tuesday, 23 October Hair’s to a Drug Free Life – Crazy Hair Day

Wednesday, 24 October Give Drugs the Boot – Dress Like a Cowboy/Cowgirl

Thursday, 25 October A Drug Free Life Rocks – Dress Like a Rock Star

Friday, 26 October Elect to be Drug Free – Dress in Red, White and Blue/USA These are your PTA Membership dollars at work! The Bear Branch PTA provides all of the funding for this program. The BBE students will receive something each day. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Jen Christman * Red Ribbon Chair * 281.684.7306

Red Ribbon Week: 22-26 October

Elmer the Bear has adopted Willie the Wildcat from North Belt Elementary. The students at North Belt Elementary are in need of Sunday best dresses, dress pants, shirts, ties, black socks, and accessories for their upcoming Manners Banquet on Friday, 02 November.

There are 43 girls and 58 boys in the Fifth Grade at North Belt. Sizes for the girls range from 10-12 and 14-16, and boys’ sizes are medium for shirts and size 10 and up for pants. Bows and any costume jewelry would be appreciated.

A store will be created for the students at North Belt Elementary to shop and select their clothing for the Manners Banquet. Any clothes left over will be distributed to the other Title I elementary schools in Humble ISD.

There will be a box in the front entry wrapped in Cinderella paper for any donations of clothing. Monetary donations are also being accepted. The deadline for the clothing drive is Thursday, 25 October. Volunteers will setup the store at North Belt Elementary on Monday, 29 October at 8:30 a.m.

For additional information, please contact Jennifer Morris at morrismanorhouse@yahoo.com or Marilyn Mann at mommymarilynn@hotmail.com.

The Elmer Project: Helping Others in Need

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Honoring Our Veterans: Thurs., 08 Nov.

On Thursday, 08 November, BBE is having a special celebration honoring our veterans. We begin the day with an assembly at 8:30 a.m. that recognizes these heroes and their families followed by a reception for our guests. All veterans and their families are welcome to attend. If you have a veteran in your family who will be attending, we would like to recognize him/her at the assembly and place his/her name on our Wall of Honor. If you have a family member who is a veteran and cannot attend, we would also like to recognize him/her by placing his/her name on our Wall of Honor.

If you would like to have your veteran recognized, please fill out the following form, attach a picture of your veteran, and place it in the box in the front office. The deadline for the forms is Friday, 26 October. If you send in a picture, please send a copy and not the original (we are afraid an original picture could be damaged). If you do not have a picture, that is fine, just fill out the form and we will make a certificate for your veteran.

If you have questions, please contact Michele Applegate at mbcapplegate@hotmail.com or at 281.358.0473.

Place the form and picture in the box in the front office by Friday, 26 October.

Name of Veteran_________________________________________________________________________

Branch of Service_________________________Rank/Title_____________________________________

Total Years of Service____________ Service Type: Active, Retired, Other____________________

Additional Information____________________________________________________________________

Submitted by____________________________________ Phone number__________________________

Relationship to veteran ___________________________________________________________________

Please check all that apply:

______ Yes, my veteran will be attending the Veterans’ Day Celebration.

Address___________________________________________________________________________

Phone number_____________________________________________________________________

______ No, my veteran will not be able to attend.

______ I have submitted this information before and it has not changed.

______ I have submitted this information and it is now updated

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15 October 2012

Thanks to Skeeters and Orange Leaf 6663

FREE RAFFLE TICKETS!

Sign up now to volunteer for a shift at Fall Fest on Friday, 26 October, and receive a FREE class basket raffle ticket for your student for EACH shift worked! Signing up is easy! Choose your shift at SignUpGenius.com: http://www.signupgenius.com and use bbe.pta.fallfest@gmail.com to sign in. Or print the Fall Fest Volunteer Form that is published in the Bear Branch Buzz, fill it out with your preferred shifts, and send to your child's teacher.

Calling all Fall Fest Parent Volunteers!!

A HUGE THANK YOU to Skeeters for hosting our Back-to-School Bash on August 30th and to our AWESOME BBE Families

for coming out to support our students. BBE raised $239.33!

Also a BIG THANKS to Orange Leaf! They donated 20% of the sales last Wednesday that we brought in, and BBE

raised $47.86!

Our Class Basket Raffle is one of the most anticipated events at Fall Fest every year! Hundreds of raffle tickets are purchased by students in hopes of winning one of the dozens of baskets full of toys and goodies! So sign up to volunteer now and receive a free chance to win! Simply check-in at the Volunteer Table prior to your shift the night of Fall Fest to receive your free tickets, which can be used to enter into the class basket raffle that night!

Thanks! Laura Roberts & Betsy

Marshall Fall Fest Volunteer Coordinators

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My School’s Cool: Let’s Win for a New Fence! Last year we won the $10,000 for the playground—this year, let’s win it for a new school fence that will help keep our kids safe!

This month, Deerbrook Mall is offering double points for the following retailers: Aeropostale Barnes & Noble Bath & Body Works Buckle Build-A-Bear Chick-fil-A Coach Express Forever 21 G by Guess GameStop Kay Jewelers Palais Royal Sleep Number by Sleep Comfort Victoria’s Secret Visible Changes

PLUS—3x the points on all Deerbrook Mall Gift Cards

purchased at the Food Court kiosk!!

Art Masterpiece Training Days

It’s Art Masterpiece time again for all of the BBE students, and we need parent volunteers for the 1st grade classes. Come help our students create their own piece of Egyptian art. No artistic skills necessary; just come ready to help and motivate.

Art Masterpiece training is on Wednesday, 25 October from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the Art Room.

For more information, contact Pilar Bizuela.

Silent Auction Donations

Thanks to the following individuals and businesses for their Silent Auction donations!

Paula Upchurch (Specialty jewelry)

Pretty Please (Bling shirt, hat, and koozie)

SocoLoco (Headbands)

Personalize It

Paul Bearden (Handmade wooden bowl)

Leah Brown (New fall lunch tote)

Merry-Go-Round (Large stuffed animal)

Marguerite Durand (3 Coach purses and a wallet, 3 Vera Bradley purses)

Houston Astros

SquareOne Tutoring

Never A Missed Moment Photography

Oriental Gardens

Chelsea Deli

Fish Place

Amedeo's

DSL Automotive

Italiano'sEmbody Fitness THANK YOU FOR FOOD DONATIONS: Kim Fazzino, Red Door Realty and Associates

Walmart Neighborhood Store

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15 October 2012

Fall Fest Game Sponsors Needed

Thank you to the following Games Sponsors:

Shelley Copeland, Kids In Action, the Palacios Family, Kimberly Boyd Counseling Center, Mann-Munoz Family, Centre Stage Theater, Lefelar Family, Jones Family, Gary & Shirley Kleinhans, Snowden Family, Carlos & Jenn Morris, Bennett Family, Kimberly Boyd Counseling LLC, Jonathan Blakelock (2), Rachel & Morgan Morris (2), and Merry-Go-Round

We would love the opportunity to recognize YOU this year as you show your support for the BBE students, staff, school, and community.

We are looking for sponsors for each of our 22 carnival games. This donation helps to offset the cost of the games and prizes, helps us offer the community a FAMILY night of fun at an economical cost, AND allows us to show OUR support for the local businesses and families that support the Kingwood community.

For each $100 donation, we will advertise and recognize you by posting your name or business on a "Game Donated by Your Name" sign. This sign will be placed next to a sponsored game the entire night of Fall Fest for all to see. Your name will also be recognized in our Fall Fest packet and in the Bear Branch Buzz newsletter that each of our 598 BBE students’ parents see.

This event is an awesome fun-filled night celebrated by our own BBE families and the Kingwood community. Your donation would be greatly appreciated! You can either log onto SignUpGenius.com (sign-in with bbe.pta.fallfest@gmail.com) and pick what game you would like to sponsor or contact Jenn Nevitt, BBE Fall Fest Games Coordinator, at jenn.nevitt@gmail.com or at 713.204.6226.

Fall Fest Book Donations

It’s time to clean out your bookshelves and donate your unwanted children’s books for our Big Spin game! We are looking for gently used, clean books suitable for children ages 1-12. So bring them by and place them in the donation box located in the FRONT entry of the school. Donations will be accepted now through Friday, 26 October. Thank you so much for your help.

For questions, contact Jennifer Nevitt at jenn.nevitt@gmail.com.

Fall Fest Candy Donations Needed At Fall Fest, everyone is a winner! We hand out TONS of prizes and candy!

Please consider donating a bag of candy between now and Friday, 26 October. A donation box will be placed in the FRONT entry of the school. Please put your child and teacher’s names on the bag. Let us know that you are donating by logging onto www.SignUpGenius.com and clicking on Candy Donations.

Thank you for NOT donating chocolate… it’s good, but it melts!

For questions, contact Jennifer Nevitt at jenn.nevitt@gmail.com.

Bear Branch Elementary 15 October 2012

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

14 15

Book Fair – Evening

Shopping

Regular PTA

Meeting – 6:40

4th Grade

Program – 7 pm

16

Author Visit

EAFK

Tournament

17 18 Early

Release

12 pm

Parent Math

Night – 6:30-

7:30 pm

19

Author Visit

20

21 21

Red Ribbon

Week

23

Red Ribbon

Week

24

Red Ribbon

Week

25

Red Ribbon

Week

Papa John’s

Pizza Spirit

Night

26

Red Ribbon

Week

FALL FEST

5:00-8:30

27

28 29 30 31

Early

Release 12 pm

1

Early

Release 12 pm

2 3

4 5 6

PTA Executive

Meeting – 10

7 8

Honoring Our

Veterans –

8:30 am

Cookie Dough

Pickup

9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17