Spout out to the Book Fair Committee--Jessica Ryckman, Kate Cappaert, Liz Ruby, Erica Long, Stephanie Rosen, and Laura Shull-Chandler--and everyone who volunteered last week for a successful Scholastic book fair! 

Big thanks to Kait Schneck who coordinated with Dick's sporting goods for recess equipment donations! The students now have so many basketballs, soccer balls, kick balls, volleyballs, and frisbees and can play to their hearts' content!

Tues, May 19 – BHES Spring Concert (7pm, BHES APR)

Weds, May 20 – MCPS Community of Care Event (6-8pm, BHES APR, details and RSVP link below)

Thurs, May 21 – Ad hoc BHES General PTA Meeting (8pm, details to come) 

Mon, May 25 – Memorial Day (No school)

Weds, May 27 – Non-Instructional Day (No school)

Thurs, May 28 – BHES Art Show (7-8pm, BHES APR, details below - artwork drop-off this week!)

Fri, May 29 – BHES Dog Day (details below)

Fri, May 29 – July/August Birthday Bash (2:30-3:00pm, BHES APR)

Fri, June 5 – BHES Field Day (Rain date: June 12)

Fri, June 12 – Student Showcase (details below)

Thurs, June 18 – 5th Grade Clap Out (12:30pm)

Thurs, June 18 – Last Day of School - Early Release (12:55pm)

JOIN THE BHES RECESS VOLUNTEERS!

Thanks again to the parents and caregivers who have been volunteering their time during recess! For those who are able to volunteer during the day, we could use a few more recess volunteers. You can sign up here.

AD HOC BHES GENERAL PTA MEETING (THURS, MAY 21, 8PM, ZOOM) 

Please join us on Thursday, May 21, at 8pm for an ad hoc General PTA meeting to discuss next steps in our ongoing security assessments. Zoom link will be shared in a forthcoming email. 

BRING YOUR BHES ART SHOW ARTWORKS MAY18-22! (ART SHOW: MAY 28, 7-8PM)

calling all artists! The BHES Art Show is just around the corner, and artwork collection begins Monday, May 18, from 8:45–9:10 a.m. in the All Purpose Room.

All students are invited to participate by submitting up to two pieces in any medium, not to exceed 24" x 36".

Please include a completed display card with each artwork submission. Extra copies will also be available at drop-off.

Start selecting your masterpieces and get ready to showcase your creativity—we can’t wait to see your amazing work!

BHES SPIRITWEAR - CLOSES MONDAY!

Our community has been through a whirlwind over the last few weeks, and we have never been as thankful for our PTA (or our Foundation!) as we were during those uncertain days. The PTA organized, advocated, communicated and generally leveraged their talents and efforts to keep our children and their teachers and staff safe and our parent body informed. They held Zoom calls, fed teachers to thank them for their strength and leadership, reordered recess supplies and so much more!

One way we can show our support for the PTA - and our pride in our amazing school community! - is by raising more of the funds that bolster our PTA’s ability to move nimbly. We are relaunching BHES Spiritwear, and links will be from now through Monday, May 18. Shirts will be delivered and distributed either the last week of May or first week of June. Shipping will be free, but all shirts will be shipped to the Spiritwear Committee and distributed from BHES. All items are available for both children and adults. Each logo style is available in a few colors and styles (short or long-sleeved shirts and hooded sweatshirts), so please click through the stock images to locate the color and style you prefer for each logo style.  

The BH Maryland State offerings can be found at Bradley Hills Spiritwear: BHES Maryland State Custom Ink Fundraising. This style was recreated by talented BHES parent Ashley Cohen because the original artwork had been lost – thank you, Ashley!

The BH LOVE offerings can be found at Bradley Hills Spiritwear: LOVE Custom Ink Fundraising.

The BH Whale offerings can be found at Bradley Hills Spiritwear: Whale Custom Ink Fundraising. Candidly, the BH Whale offerings require a higher order threshold (26 items) than the other two Spiritwear logo styles. If the BH Whale threshold is not met, the Spiritwear Committee will contact anyone who has ordered a BH Whale item to either help them order a BH Maryland State or BH LOVE item or cancel the order altogether.   

We look forward to seeing you and your kiddos representing our wonderful school!

You can reach the Spiritwear Committee at spiritwearBHES@gmail.com with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your support! 

BHES DOG DAY (MAY 29, DURING RECESS, BHES TENNIS COURT) 

Introducing our first ever Dog Day during recess on Friday, May 29th on the BHES tennis court! 

Parents are invited to sign up to bring their leashed, well-behaved, socialized, and vaccinated dogs during your student’s recess to mingle and play. The dogs will be on the tennis courts and the event will be optional and open to students who would like to participate.  

If you do NOT want your children to participate, please opt-out HERE.

A few things to note for volunteers:

1. Proof of current rabies vaccination must be emailed to bhesptamembership@gmail.com by May 15.  
2. One dog per slot please
3. Volunteers must complete required volunteer training. 

To add your dog’s name to the list, sign up HERE. 

RSVP FOR MCPS COMMUNITY OF CARE EVENT - PIZZA, CONNECTION, AND CONVERSATION (MAY 20, 6-8PM, BHES APR)

Pizza, Connection, and Conversation is a family evening at Bradley Hills Elementary that brings caregivers, staff, and students together to explore how we can build a strong, supportive community of care.

Centered around “We Are the Builders” by Deepa Iyer, the evening introduces the idea that a thriving community is built through many roles—and the ways we support and show up for one another every day.

Students will take part in age-appropriate activities exploring these roles—from coloring for younger grades to a “Dream Big” brainstorming session for older students. At the same time, caregivers will join small-group conversations using real-life scenarios, with a focus on practical, supportive ways to respond—both with children and with one another.

There will be separate sessions for students and parents/caregivers, all designed to be engaging, accessible, and grounded in real-life situations.

When: Wednesday, May 20. Pizza and refreshments at 6:00 PM, followed by programming at 6:30 PM
Where: Bradley Hills APR & Media Center
Hosted by: Bradley Hills PTA, in collaboration with MCPS staff and community volunteers

RSVP with this link

BHES STUDENT SHOWCASE (FRI, JUNE 12)

The BHES Student Showcase lets parents and caregivers come into the classroom to celebrate some of the students' accomplishments and progress over the course of the year. Here's the schedule by grade-year:

• Kindergarten | 11:00 – 11:45

  Location: Classrooms and K Hallway

  Activity: Art and the World Around “Us” Museum 

• 1st Grade | 2:30 – 3:00

  Location: Individual Classrooms

  Activity: Personal Fairytale Sharing 

• 2nd Grade | 2:30 – 3:00

  Location: Individual Classrooms

  Activity: Informational Writing Showcase (plus snacks and classroom parties! )

• 3rd Grade | 2:30 – 3:00

  Location: Classrooms

  Activity: Interactive Board Games (Come play the games students designed based on this year's lessons!)

• 4th Grade | 2:30 – 3:00

  Location: Classrooms

  Activity: Reading & Science Block Displays 

• 5th Grade | 2:00 – 3:00

  Location: APR (at tables)

  Activity: Passion Project Presentations 

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!  

If you want to volunteer for the Birthday Bash, please sign up here and send any questions to Isabella Masano or Anna Canfield Roth.

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  

To find BHES teacher wish lists, wisit BHESPTA.com and click the header “Teacher Wish Lists”: https://www.bhespta.com/teacher-wishlists