Originally delivered on 12/29/2024 9:09 pm

SUBJECT: Weekly Whale 12/29

SPOUT OUTS!

Happy New Year to all! Safe travels back to Bethesda to those on the move!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Mon, Dec 23-Weds, Jan 1 – Winter Break (No School)

Sun, Jan 5 – Read-a-Thon Closing Event (Wonderland Books, 5-7pm)

Fri, Jan 10 – WhaleMart

Weds, Jan 15 – California Tortilla Spirit Night (11am-9:30pm)

Fri, Jan 17 – January Birthday Bash

Mon, Jan 20 – MLK Jr. Day (No School)

Weds, Jan 29 – End of Term (No School)

WHALE WATCH

SIGN UP TO BE A VOLUNTEER FOR BHES CLASSROOM SPELLING BEES!

The classroom Spelling Bees for 4th and 5th graders are in January, and we are looking for parent volunteers to help run the class bees!

We are looking for 2-3 volunteers per time-slot. Please review the available slots HERE, motivate other parent-friends, and sign up! Each session is no more than 1 hour of your time! Volunteers will be given instructions in advance. 

Please remember that you cannot volunteer for your own child's class. However, parents from any grade are welcome to volunteer (not limited to 4th and 5th grade parents).

The time-slots reflect the start time. Please arrive a few minutes early to sign in at the front office and make your way to the classroom. The classroom bees move quickly and typically take about 40-45 minutes.

If you have any questions, please contact Golriz Chrostowski at golrizshoai@gmail.com

Hope to see you in January!

BHES WINTER READ-A-THON (THROUGH JAN 6TH)

There is a week left in the Read-A-Thon! We're counting on you to make it a success. If you haven't already, please take a moment to activate your child’s personal reader page by clicking on the following link: https://www.read-a-thon.com/readers/r/323736303732

Alternatively, you can also use the QR code (one unique QR code/classroom) in the flyer that was sent home on Friday. 

Thank you for your help in reaching our goal. This event will run through January 6th.

Please contact BHESReadathon@gmail.com with questions!

- The 2024 Read-a-thon Committee

READ-A-THON CLOSING EVENT AT WONDERLAND BOOKS (SUN, JAN 5TH, 5-7PM)

We are excited to announce our closing event for the Read-a-Thon! Love reading all year long? The reading never stops at Bradley Hills, so please join us at our concluding event at the newest bookstore in Bethesda! 

     Wonderland Books

     Where: 7920 Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda

     When: Sunday, January 5th, 5-7pm 

5% of proceeds go to Bradley Hills! The bookstore will stay open late just for us! Happy Reading!

BHES STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION TOY DRIVE (ENDS JAN 12)

The SGA is having a toy drive! Please bring any new or lightly used toys to the front of the building and put in the boxes labeled toy drive. The drive will run now through January 12th and all donations will go to the Green Tree Shelter.

Please reach out to Ms. Howell with any questions: Caitlyn_L_Howell@mcpsmd.org  

The SGA thanks you for your support!

WINTER AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT

Bradley Hills PTA is excited to offer after school enrichment programming this winter in partnership with Baroody Camps. The Winter session will run from January 21 – March 28, 2025 with classes available Tuesdays – Fridays. (No enrichment on Mondays.)  Please see the attached flyer – or click here – for the class schedule and pricing information. Registration closes on Sunday, January 12th. Some classes have filled up, and some need more participants to run, so don't delay! 

After school enrichment programs are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Montgomery County School Board, the Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools, or Bradley Hills Elementary School. Email Natalie Ram at natalie.ram@gmail.com or Helene Gouarne (helene.gouarne@gmail.com) with any questions.

WHALEMART COMING UP! (FRI, JAN 10, 8:30-9:00AM)

Our second WhaleMart of the school year will be Friday, January10th from 8:30-9:00, on the blacktop at BHES.  We’ll have lots of new and exciting merchandise for sale—-get excited for various types of squishies!!  We can’t wait to see everyone there.

***all items are between $1-$5

KEEP SHARING YOUR PHOTOS WITH THE YEARBOOK!

Do you have photos from Skate Night, the Back to School Carnival or other school events? If so, please share them with the Yearbook Club. Email photos to Mrs. Crossman at Allison_M_Crossman@mcpsmd.org. (Please note that not all photos sent will make it in the yearbook.) Thank you!

THE PTA IS HERE FOR YOU

The BHES PTA is committed to promoting an enriching and supportive climate where all members of the BHES community feel safe, seen, and respected. The PTA -- primarily through its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee -- works to advance this goal through the following means: dissemination of educational resources for parents/guardians; organization and facilitation of Heritage Night as well as other events and small-group community conversations to help parents/guardians explore their family identities and issues of bias; financial support of assemblies and other in-school programming to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging goals; and collaboration with school administration, teachers, and staff on development of materials to supplement teacher lessons on anti-bias and commemorative months. 

The PTA's DEI Committee welcomes input from all members of our community about how we collectively work to prevent and respond to hate-bias incidents within our community. If you are interested in sharing feedback, or joining the DEI Committee, please contact DEI Committee Co-Chairs Britt Hogue and Kathleen Foster at klubey@gmail.com

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Interested in volunteering? Contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Claire Heffez at bradleyhillsvolunteer@gmail.com 

Media Center Volunteers email Tracy Sislen to get on the schedule.

Recess Volunteers sign up and review guidelines HERE.

Lunch Volunteers sign up and review guidelines HERE.

MCPS and BHES Volunteer Requirements: Click here.

CONTACT US

Questions, comments, suggestions for the PTA? Contact PTA President Jen Villani at bradleyhillsptaprez@gmail.com

Have PTA news to share or Community Event Information? Contact Communications Chair Lesley Freiman at bhescommunications@gmail.com

Visit our website at www.bhespta.com

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/bradleywhalespta/

RESOURCES
PLEASE SUPPORT THE PTA

Join or Donate to the PTA: Fill out the PTA membership and donation form found HERE or login A to Z Directory (https://bhespta.membershiptoolkit.com), select “Membership” on the left side menu then "Join" and/or "donate" .

Scan Receipts for Box Tops and Register Your Grocery Store Cards: Download the box tops app and scan grocery store receipts to redeem box tops earnings for BHES. Register your grocery store cards at www.escrip.com (school ID: 6477724) and www.giantfood.com/aplus (school ID: 00665).

BHES staff and PTA volunteers can post informational emails via AtoZ by sending the email to: BHESAtoZConnect@gmail.com. Please include PLEASE POST in the subject line.  Ads or announcements for non-school sponsored events can be sent to the community announcements moderator at BHEScommunityannouncements@gmail.com.

If you do NOT want to receive these informational emails in the future, you may click "unsubscribe" at the bottom of any AtoZConnect email.  Warning - by unsubscribing you will no longer receive updates about any PTA events.  

To access your AtoZConnect account anytime to update your directory/contact info and/or to pay your annual BHES PTA family membership dues of $40, go to https://bhespta.membershiptoolkit.com/home If you forgot your password, go to the link and click "Forgot password."  

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