Spout out to Marissa Morabito, Allison Fepelstein, Stephanie Stein, and Stephanie Dreyer for organizing such a fun and wonderful Bingo Night! It was great to see so many BHES families together enjoying this terrific game and out-of-school evening in their PJs!

Big thanks to everyone who participated in the BHES Parent Reunification Drill, including Jess Jay for coordinating volunteers, everyone who volunteered, and BHES faculty and staff!

Mon, Oct 27-Thurs, Oct 30 – Scholastic Book Fair (details below)

Tues, Oct 28 – Community of Care Family Evening at Bradley Hills, 6:00-8:00pm (see below for more details) Please RSVP here

Fri, Oct 31 – BHES Halloween Parade and Class Parties (2:00-3:00pm)

Mon, Nov 3 – No School (Grading/Planning Day)

Thurs, Nov 6 – Geography Bee Finals (7pm, APR)

Tues, Nov 11 – BHES Open House (9:00-10:30am, RSVP, details below)

Fri, Nov 14 – November Birthday Bash (2:30-3:00pm, BHES APR)

Mon, Nov 24-Tues, Nov 25 – Early Release Days (12:55pm)

Weds, Nov 26-Fri, Nov 28 – School Closed (Thanksgiving)

SURVEY ON PTA FUND ALLOCATION

The PTA is launching a Parent and Caregiver Survey for feedback on PTA fund allocation. Please take some time to complete this survey - it won't take you more than a few minutes. Make your voice heard!

COMMUNITY OF CARE EVENT (OCT 28, 6:00-7:00PM, BHES APR & MEDIA CENTER)

Join us for pizza, connection, and conversation -- a family evening at Bradley Hills Elementary that brings caregivers, staff, and students together to explore how we can build a kind, inclusive, and caring school community.

Through short activities, discussions, and read-alouds, families will learn simple ways to support kids when they experience or witness unkind or hurtful language — and how to help children use empathy, curiosity, and confidence in real-life situations.

There will be separate sessions for students and parents/caregivers, both focused on practical, age-appropriate scenarios and positive strategies used in our classrooms (like “zones of regulation” and “speak-up” tools).

When: Tuesday, October 28. Pizza and refreshments at 6:00 PM followed by the discussion at 6:30

Where: Bradley Hills APR & Media Center

Hosted by: Bradley Hills PTA, in collaboration with MCPS staff and community volunteers 

Do I need to RSVP? Yes! Please RSVP here

GEOGRAPHY BEE FOR 4TH AND 5TH GRADERS (NOV 6, 7PM, APR)

Bradley Hills is holding its annual Geography Bee. All 4th and 5th grade students will participate in the first-round, in-class Geography Bees on Friday, October 31. The winner of each class Geography Bee is then invited to compete in the Geography Bee Finals on Thursday, November 6 at 7pm in the BHES APR.

Participation in the Geography Bee is voluntary, and no advanced study or preparation is expected. Our goal is to generate interest in and excitement about geography, and to be fun for the kids.  

There is no list of study questions, since the questions are not taken from any particular book, list, or website.  For those kids who would like to brush up before the Geography Bee, the best thing to do is to review basic information on continents, countries, states, capitals, bodies of water, rivers, mountains, major landmarks, etc.

ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE EVENT (NOV 11, 9:00-1:30AM, BHES)

BHES will be hosting an Open House on November 11th. The event will begin with coffee and conversation in the APR at 9:00 AM, followed by an hour open house from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM. Please RSVP HERE. Please arrive through the APR door between 9:00 AM-9:30 AM, and then use the main entrance after 9:30 AM.

We are looking forward to opening our building to our parents and caregivers.

SUPPORT THE PTA AND WIN A CELEBRATION FOR YOUR CHILD’S CLASS

Have you paid your PTA dues yet this year? Help your kids' class and grade win the PTA Membership Challenge!

• The first class to reach 100% participation in the PTA by Nov 7 wins a pizza party!
• The grade with the highest PTA participation by Nov 7 wins a donut party for the whole grade! 
• One of the benefits of paying our annual PTA dues is access to the A to Z directory which lets you search for your children’s classmates and friends to coordinate playdates and class parties. Access to A to Z will become limited to PTA members on 11/7. (Anyone who is signed up in A to Z but without a PTA membership will be able to receive communication from the PTA including information about events and the weekly whale but won’t be able to access the directory). 

Here are the current membership rates by grade! 

    K – 47/65 – 72%

    1^st – 41/59 – 70% 

    2^nd – 65/87 – 75%

    3^rd – 50/77 – 65% 

    4^th – 60/95 – 63%

    5^th – 73/97 – 75%

For the classroom race Ms. Winfield is in the lead with Mr. Newman coming up from behind and Ms. Hicks and Ms. Davis right behind them!

To pay your annual support fee and join the PTA:

1.    Visit https://bhespta.membershiptoolkit.com 

2.    Select “Membership Store” on the left. 

3.    Buy your Annual Membership and “Check out” 

Learn about the PTA on Our Website: www.BHESPTA.com 

Questions? Email: BHESPTAMembers@gmail.com. Thanks again to everyone who has already joined! We couldn't do this without you!

What is Bradley Hills Membership Toolkit (A to Z Connect)?

There are still 35 students who are not in A to Z Connect, and we would love to have 100% participation in order to make sure no one is missing out! This is how the PTA communicates school-wide and how room parents communicate with the families in their classrooms.

BHES has a Green School distinction, and both the school and the PTA try to avoid sending printouts home – so email and website communication is critical!

Our PTA has a listserv through our school directory database, Membership Toolkit. All registered families receive emails about PTA events, including the Weekly Whale and community announcements. Please follow the instructions below to register.

New to BHES? How to register on Membership Toolkit:

If you are new to Bradley Hills (and don’t have a Membership Toolkit account with BHES):

• Go to the https://bhespta.membershiptoolkit.com/ and click on Register/Login.
• Click Create Account. Enter your account information.
• The website will send you a confirmation e-mail before you can continue with the registration process.
• Confirm your e-mail address and then you can enter your family information and set your Directory & Publish preferences.
• You must complete your family information AND your directory publish preferences (under My Account) in order to view the directory. After November 7, 2025 you will be able to continue receiving PTA communications but will have to be a member of the PTA (by paying the $50 annual membership fee) to access directory information. You can use the web or download the Membership Toolkit app from the App Store or Google Play. 

Membership isn’t in your budget? Let us know! BHES PTA values membership access for all BHES families. Your membership funds are not the only way to show support. Participation and volunteering are essential to everything the PTA does! We want to make sure that all families can join the PTA, whether they can easily afford the $50 membership fee or not. If the membership fee doesn’t fit into your budget, you can still join, providing you with access to the online directory and the ability to vote during general membership meetings! Please reach out to our PTA President at bradleyhillsptaprez@gmail.com to let her know of your situation and we will help you acquire membership.

THE BHES SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR IS HERE! (OCT 27-30) 

The SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR starts tomorrow, Oct 27th! A portion of all sales goes to support the Bradley Hills Media Center and the PTA.

Here’s a quick set of answers to your most pressing book fair questions!

When can my child buy books?

• Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday with their teachers/classes (teacher sign up is HERE) Keep in mind times are subject to change at the last minute due to their teaching schedules.

• Thursday morning on their own if they have payment and a pass from their teacher

When can parents/caregivers buy books?

• Wednesday night from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

• During your child's class time - volunteer to help or just stop in

What forms of payment do you accept?

You or your child can use: a Scholastic eWallet, cash, credit card, or Apple pay

What is an eWallet and how do I set one up?

Scholastic eWallet account is basically a book fair debit account.

• Set one up for your child HERE.

• If you set up an eWallet account last year, YOU STILL MUST LOG ON AND REACTIVATE IT. Any remaining money is still available, but does not roll over automatically.

• To purchase books, your child just needs to share their name with the cashier, or you can print out the eWallet receipt.

Shop online during 10/24-11/6

25% of every online purchase directly benefits our school.  

Do you have other questions?

Please contact the PTA Book Fair email here: bhesptabookfair@gmail.com

SUPPORT THE BHES FOOD DRIVE FOR WELLER ROAD ELEMENTARY!

The Community Service Committee is holding a food drive to support our sister school, Weller Road Elementary. Weller Road is a Title I school with a food pantry onsite that serves students and their families in need. We invite all BHES families to participate by donating canned and non-perishable food items.

From October 21st to November 7th, donation bins will be placed outside the front entrance of BHES. We welcome a variety of non-perishable items, such as pasta, canned vegetables, dried beans and lentils, and other sealed dry foods. You can send donations with your children or drop them off directly in the bins.

Note – if you are donating gift cards please hand them to the front desk staff directly and they will pass them onto the PTA team collecting donations.

Let's come together as a community to help our friends at Weller Road! Your generosity can make a big difference in the lives of these students and their families. Thank you for your support!

 Consider donating the following items: 

• Shelf-stable food: Instant oatmeal, brown rice, whole grain pasta, cannedtuna, salmon, or chicken, dry or cannedbeans (low sodium), cannedvegetables (low-sodium), canned fruit or fruit cups (in juice), cooking oil & spices, natural nut butter, shelf-stable, individual milk boxes, 
• Baby/infant nutrition: Infant formula, baby foods (shelf-stable)
• Diapers
• Personal Hygiene Items: Deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, soap
• Laundry Detergent
• Gift Cards for goods (Giant, Safeway, Target)

MISSING SOMETHING? IT'S PROBABLY IN THE LOST & FOUND!

Thank you to everyone who has claimed belongings from Lost & Found! There are still well over 100 items waiting to be picked up, so please take a look at the online gallery or stop by in person to check for anything that belongs to your family. 

The Lost & Found is located to the left of the stage in the All-Purpose Room (Cafeteria). Students or caregivers can visit any time they are at school. ALL ITEMS LEFT UNCLAIMED ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH WILL BE DONATED. 

If you have questions, please contact Shannon Coffey at ssoconnell@gmail.com. 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 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee works to advance this goal through educational resources, community conversations, in-school programming, and collaboration with school and county staff. Our focus this year is the Speak Up Strategies to empower our community, students and adults alike, to be upstanders in the face of hate and bias.

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 Nausheen Noor and Kathleen Foster at klubey@gmail.com

Principal's Weekly Newsletter
Click here to find Ms. Kemp's latest newsletter. 

Interested in volunteering? Contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Jess Jay at bradleyhillsvolunteer@gmail.com 

Please visit the PTA website for information about becoming a Media Center, Recess, or Lunch volunteer and to learn about how to support one-time events!  

BHES Volunteer Expectations/Agreement: Click here 

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/

Bradley Hills Elementary School Websitehttps://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/bradleyhillses/

Bradley Hills PTA Websitehttp://www.bhespta.com

Bradley Hills Education Foundation Websitehttps://www.bradleyhillseducationfoundation.org/

BHES Membership Toolkit (for school directory & to join or donate to PTA) https://bhespta.membershiptoolkit.com/

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

Clip box tops: Clip and turn in box tops in the school office. Don’t forget to register at boxtops4education.com to scan and email grocery store receipts.  

Harris Teeter Rewards: Support the BHES PTA every time you shop and Harris Teeter. Register your Harris Teeter rewards card at https://www.harristeeter.com/together-in-education