Originally delivered on 8/20/2026 8:00 pm

SUBJECT: Weekly Whale - August 20th

UPCOMING EVENTS
  • Monday, August 24 – Transition Day (Kindergarten students only)

  • Monday, August 24 – Kindergarten Caregiver Meeting (9:10–10:00 am, Media Center)

  • Monday, August 24 – Sneak-a-Peek (2:30–3:00 pm)

  • Tuesday, August 25 – First Day of School (all students)

  • Wednesday, September 2 – Back-to-School Night for grades 1-5 (6:00–7:30 pm)

  • Tuesday, September 8 – Picture Day
  • Thursday, September 10 – Volunteer and Safety Training (includes recess safety training- more details to follow!)
  • Wednesday, September 16 - PTA Parent Welcome Night (5:30 pm at 7920 Norfolk Ave #330 rooftop)
  • Saturday, September 19 – Back-to-School Carnival (4:30-7:00 pm- details below)
  • NEW DATE & LOCATION: Friday, September 25 – BHEF Fall Social (6:00-8:00 pm- more details below)
BACK TO SCHOOL CARNIVAL REMINDERS!

ORDER PIZZA & TICKETS FOR THE BACK TO SCHOOL CARNIVAL BY SEPTEMBER 16TH & DONATE A CAKE FOR THE CAKEWALK!

The Bradley Hills PTA is hosting a back to school carnival on Saturday, September 19th from 4:30 - 7:00 pm. We'll have tons of fun activities such as inflatables, face painting, a dunk tank, food, Clayboys and more!

Use this link to purchase pizza andtickets! https://bhespta.membershiptoolkit.com/store/24457

All pizza orders and pre-sales tickets must be placed by September 16, 2026 at noon. Tickets can be purchased at the carnival, but there will be no pizza orders onsite!

We also need families to donate a cake for the cake walk!  This is such a fun part of the Carnival and the kids’ favorite activity!  Cakes/cupcakes must be store bought in closed containers.  

A Cake Walk is a lot like musical chairs!  Students walk in a circle around numbered spots on the blacktop and when the music stops, a number is drawn at random and whomever is standing on that number wins a cake!

Please sign up below to bring a cake/cupcakes!  Thank you for your support in making this a success!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4BADA623A6FC1-65131959-cake#/


We look forward to kicking the school year off with this fun afternoon! Please note this event is rain or shine.   

GET READY TO DIVE IN!


JOIN BHES WHATSAPP GROUPS AND STAY CONNECTED!


REMINDER! Join the Bradley Hills Parent Whatsapp group for all current BHES families. Join us today to stay connect with other BHES parents and stay up to date on key dates, events, and information! https://chat.whatsapp.com/EiI9JaEvH0BHpLsm2YyEGh?s=sh&p=i&mlu=4&amv=2


There are also grade level Whatsapp groups for grade specific information that we encourage you to join, if you haven't already:


2026-2027 Volunteer Opportunities! Room Parent & Additional Volunteer Sign-Up - Save the Date for Virtual Volunteer Info Session on September 10 at 6:30 PM

 

SUPPORT THE BHES PTA AND RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP FOR 2026-2027!

Join and donate to the PTA through our directory membership toolkit which is also the main way to be able to communicate with your fellow BHES families. 

Renewing Your Annual Membership

Once you are logged into membership toolkit, select membership store from the main menu and then select 2026-27 Family Membership which is $50.00. You can also choose to donate an additional amount to the PTA on that same page.

Membership in the PTA is renewed annually with the new school year and helps support a variety of activities including the Back to School Picnic; Science Fair; Heritage Night; and Movie Night.

We will be starting the PTA membership drive soon where your children’s classes and grades will be competing to see who has the most family memberships.

 

To Create An Account

Go to the Register/Login page at https://bhespta.membershiptoolkit.com or download the Membership Toolkit app, then click create account, and enter your account information. You will receive a confirmation email and then once it has been confirmed you can enter your family information and set your preferences. Only parents can enter your family into membership toolkit and if you do not do so other families and the room parents will not have an avenue to get in touch with you. This is also the way room parents communicate.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to reach out to your membership chairs Lauren Breitenother Clark and Laura Moulton at bhesptamembership@gmail.com


2026-2027 Volunteer Opportunities! Room Parent & Additional Volunteer Sign-Up - Save the Date for Virtual Volunteer Info Session on September 10 at 6:30 PM

We are looking for 2-4 room parents per classroom to help make this year a success! Sign up here (the form contains multiple sections if you are signing up for more than one classroom): https://forms.gle/dLuUFcAVZHYPL8FM8. As a reminder, room parents support teachers during the school year for PTA organized events, as well as teacher/classroom specific needs. Duties include collecting and managing class funds, organizing class parties, coordinating volunteer opportunities, and communicating information from the school, the PTA, and the Bradley Hills Education Foundation. 

 

We are also looking for additional volunteers who will be added to a list of parents/guardians who may be contacted in the case of additional volunteer needs in an individual classroom, at the grade-level, or for the school in general. 

 

Use the link above to sign up or use the QR code you'll find in your children's classrooms at Sneak-a-Peek. If you have any questions, please email bradleyhillsvolunteer@gmail.com

NEW DATE & LOCATION FOR THE BHES SOCIAL!

This year's BHEF Fall Social will now be held on Friday, September 25that the home of the Perkins Family (8728 Ewing Drive). This is an adults only event. We hope to see you there! 

MATH OLYMPIAD FOR 4TH AND 5TH GRADERS

BHES 4th and 5th grade families!

We’re excited to share that Math Olympiad is returning this year.

What’s Math Olympiad? It’s an international program that helps students build problem‑solving skills through weekly practice and a handful of low‑pressure contests. Kids work through word problems, puzzles, and logic challenges, learning strategies and enjoying the process of tackling tough problems together.

Students will work alongside friends and high school mentors, and it’s a great fit for kids who love puzzles, brain teasers, and collaborative problem solving. Friend groups are especially welcome! 

If your child is interested, please complete the interest form and scheduling survey by September 5. 2026. This helps us plan group sizes and choose the best day of the week for our sessions. The final day will depend highly on our high school coaches’ availability and will remain consistent throughout the year.

A few things to know:

  • Sessions run one hour after school (3:45–4:45 pm) at BHES from October through March. 

  • We expect (and are confirming) this to be compatible with Aftercare as it has in the past. 

  • Each family is asked to oversee one practice session and bring snacks that day—that’s the only parent ask. You won’t be coaching; the high school students lead instruction.

  • The PTA covers the team registration fee, and an adult is always present with the mentors.

  • Students participate in five low‑pressure contests—just five problems each—purely for fun and to spark interest in math and problem solving.

  • Math Olympiad has been a wonderful BHES tradition for years.

Questions? Email Laura (Lcshull@yahoo.com)

We hope to see your kids as part of Math Olympiad this school year!

WHO'S WHO IN THE WHALE POD

Bradley Hills is so fortunate to have both a PTA and a Foundation that work closely together to support our staff, students, and school.  Confused about the difference? Check out what each organization does for Bradley Hills!  

BHES GROUP FOOTBALL TICKETS!

Feeling excited about the NFL Football Season? Already obsessing about your Fantasy Football Team? Help us raise money for our PTA activities while enjoying a great game of live NFL football right here in our community. Come watch the Washington Commanders play on Sunday, December 20th at 1pm at the Commanders' Stadium in Washington DC. See the flyer below for details on how to purchase your package which includes discounted tickets, a photo with other Bradley Hills families on the field, special seating and a donation to the PTA! Getting to walk on a real NFL football field is a big deal; wear your Commanders or BHES spirit wear.

TEACHER WISH LISTS


Teacher wish lists: Support our teachers by helping to purchase item they need for their classrooms at https://www.bhespta.com/teacher-wishlists 

RESOURCES

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/

Principal's Weekly Newsletter
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1E0O98E7ojszlPNmNv78tCorTfm_RmSc3ww4Yv2AtxeQ/edit?tab=t.0

CONTACT US

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

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

Visit our website at www.bhespta.com

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

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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