Originally delivered on 2/19/2023 3:01 pm

SUBJECT: Weekly Whale 2/19

SPOUT OUTS!

Spout out to the parents and teachers who made the class Valentine's Day parties so fantastic! Thank you to Kate Kruuse, Margo Cohen and Veronica Velez-Burgess for organizing the 5th grade Valentines Day party and to the parent volunteers for a great party! Thank you to the 5th grade students and parents who made heart garlands for the Children's Inn at NIH. Spout out to the WhaleMart team for smoothly moving WhaleMart inside to avoid the rain!

UPCOMING EVENTS

February 20 – Presidents Day (No School) 

February 22 – Cultural Arts Assembly in Honor of Black History Month (in-school) 

February 22 – A Virtual Conversation with MCPS Superintendent McKnight (6:30-8:00pm, Zoom)

February 23 – BHES Heritage Night (7-8:30pm, BHES, enter through APR)

March 3 – Early Release Day (school ends 12:55pm)

March 7 – In-Person PTA Meeting, special guest Dr. Rebecca Resnick (7:30 in the APR) 

March 10 – Kid ONLY Indoor Movie Night (more details to come!)

March 15 – Early Release Day (school ends 12:55pm)

March 25 – BHEF Roaring Twenties Fundraiser (6:30-10:30pm at Pizzeria DaMarco)

April 29 – Variety Show (at Whitman HS) 

WHALE WATCH

A CONVERSATION WITH MCPS SUPERINTENDENT MCKNIGHT (FEB 22, 6:30PM, ZOOM)

The Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence, NAACP-Parents' Council, and Identity, Inc., are hosting a virtual conversation with MCPS Superintendent Monifa McKnight on Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. ET via Zoom. Families will have the opportunity to submit questions and comments in advance through the event RSVP link about various topics, such as how students are doing in respect to the MCPS Evidence of Learning Framework, the MCPS Antiracist Audit; access to educational programs and supports; and student health and well-being (particularly with respect to racism, hate, bullying, violence, drugs, and safety). Spanish interpretation will be available. To receive the Zoom link, register here

SEEKING BOOK DONATIONS FOR THE WELLER ROAD BOOK DRIVE

We are having a new and gently used book drive to support Weller Road's Book Fair where Weller students will be able to shop for books free of charge. 

  • We are asking for donations of new or gently used children's books. The book fair is for students in Pre-K to 5th grade so please only donate children's books.
  • We would love for our students to leave hand-written notes including recommendations for the books they donate! 
  • Please drop off donations in the bins in the BHES foyer.
  • We will share WR teachers Amazon Wishlists to supply classroom libraries. These books will be delivered directly to WR. We will send these links shortly.
  • Please let us know if you are available to help us pick up donations from school. 

Thank you again for your generosity and support,

Veronica Velez-Burgessvvelezburgess@yahoo.com

PTA Community Service

SIGN UP FOR THE BHES VARIETY SHOW (OPEN THROUGH MARCH 15)

BHES will be putting on its annual variety show on April 29, 2023. It’s the highlight of the year for our community and tons of fun!

Check out our 2023 Variety Show Website, with everything you need to know about the event! Clickhereto learn more about registration, auditions, signups to volunteer, and answers to FAQ's. Registration for acts will be open from Feb. 15 to March 15 (we will not accept registrations before Feb. 15).

Please volunteer to make this year's show the best one yet. The event requires a LOT of parent support and involvement. We need assistance with all aspects of the show, from lighting, sound, and stage management to event coordination. Please clickhere and to sign up to volunteer. 

We also need sponsors for the show, so if your family or company would be interested in sponsoring the show or have any questions about sponsorship, please email us atbradleyhillsvarietyshow2023@gmail.com

SERVE ON THE PTA NOMINATING COMMITTEE

The PTA is looking for 4 members to serve on this year's Nominating Committee.

The Nominating Committee will work together to reach out to the BHES community to identify interested, qualified candidates to serve on the 2023-24 PTA Board (treasurer, volunteer liaison, membership, etc) and committees. 

Once candidates for board positions have been identified, the Nominating Committee will present the slate of officers to be voted on at the May PTA General Membership meeting.

If you are interested, or know of someone who might be, please email bradleyhillsptavp@gmail.com by Wednesday March 1, 2023

IN-PERSON PTA MEETING (MARCH 7, 7:30PM, APR)

SAVE THE DATE for our next IN PERSON PTA meeting on Tuesday March 7 at 7:30 pm in the Bradley Hills All Purpose Room. We will discuss the latest PTA business and host Dr. Rebecca Resnick for a discussion on childhood anxiety. 

Children's Stress: The Curse and the Blessing 

During our age of stress, smart parents are focusing on how best to help their children develop resilience. We know our role as parents is to raise children who can stand strong in the face of challenges. However, this responsibility could feel overwhelming, even before the pandemic hit. For this presentation, Dr. Rebecca Resnik, Licensed Psychologist, will describe how our children's stress response is actually both a "curse and a blessing." She will discuss why so much of what we have been told about stress is wrong, and update parents on what the science says about kids and stress. Attendees will learn to tell the difference between everyday situational stress and anxiety disorders. Dr. Resnik will provide practical tools for helping children harness their stress and re-discover their spark. 

Dr. Rebecca Resnik is a licensed psychologist and founder of Rebecca Resnik and Associates, a group practice with offices in North Bethesda. She specializes in pediatric neuropsychological assessment. Prior to becoming a psychologist, she earned her masters degree in Special Education with a concentration in learning disabilities. Dr. Resnik is the current President of the Maryland Psychological Association. Her book, A Parent's First Guide to ADHD was published in 2016. She is a regular speaker at national conferences and local events. She is a proud parent of 2 MCPS students. 

RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

MCPS Parent AcademyThere are virtual workshops available to parents in MCPS. Some are specific to our students with IEPs and some are more generalized. If you are interested in seeing what is being offered, please check out the Parent Academy (on the MCPS website.) Please click on link below for more information: 

MCPS Parent Academy

MCPS Family Support CenterThe Family Support Center (FSC) is here to help you! The goal of the attached bulletin is to provide you with information on internal and external events specifically designed for families who have children with an IEP. If you would like to learn more about an event or share information on other workshops or organizations, please contact the FSC at FamilySupport@mcpsmd.org. There are lots of organizations that provide webinars, training, and other resources for students and families. If you need support, suggestions or guidance, please reach out to the MCPS Family Support Center at Familysupport@mcpsmd.org. Please click on the link to access the Family Support Center bulletin: MCPS Family Support Center Bulletin

LUNCH AND RECESS VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Calling all volunteers!  Come enjoy the milder weather while supporting BHES staff in supervising lunch and recess!  Check out a description of recess volunteer duties and SIGN UP HERE for one or more recess slots.  BHES also needs lunchtime volunteers. Read the lunch volunteer duties and SIGN UP HERE to monitor a lunch period.

All parents and guardians must complete BHES and MCPS required training before volunteering. Consult the volunteer requirements HERE.

Questions? Contact meredithramsden@gmail.com

THE ALL-NEW BRADLEY HILLS SPIRIT STORE IS NOW LIVE!

Our all-new Spirit Store is now live on1stplacespiritwear.com! Order hats, hoodies, shirts, sweats, blankets and more for the whole family! Ten percent of sales goes to the PTA! Visithttp://1stplace.sale/44027 to place your first order! Wednesday, March 29 will be a Bradley Hills Spirit Day, so make sure you get your gear in time! 

PRINCIPAL'S CORNER

Principal's Monthly Newsletter
Click here to read Mrs. Caroscio's February newsletter. 

CONTACT US

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

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

Want to volunteer? Please sign up here

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 $35, go to https://bhespta.membershiptoolkit.com/home If you forgot your password, go to the link and click "Forgot password."  

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