PTA

MEET AND GREET PRE-SALES PACKETS

By now you should have received your Meet and Greet Presale packet for next year, through which you may order your PTA membership, prepackaged school supplies, required books, class T-shirt, yearbook, directory, and calendar for the 2008-09 school year.

By filling out the form now, you can avoid standing in line during the Meet and Greet Supply Sale on August 6.  Instead, just come in and pick up your bagged supplies on August 6.

Please note - your checks will not be cashed until July 1. If you have any questions, please email presale@mtbethelpta.org.

BOOSTERTHON BUZZ…

In lieu of our annual gift wrap sale fundraiser, Mt. Bethel PTA will be launching a new and exciting
program next year! The Boosterthon Fundraising Program is a student led, values-centered, fitness-based program that will be held August 24 – September 3.

The PTA is excited about implementing this program as a fresh idea to fundraising to support our many wonderful programs at Mt. Bethel.  We are equally as excited about the opportunity to show our students that FITNESS IS FUN and to promote the values and character education that are included in the Boosterthon program.  Also, unlike our sales-based fundraisers, all monies collected will be tax deductible and EVERY child will be able to participate in the fun regardless of their participation in the fundraising.

Boosterthon has been a huge hit with students, faculty, and families at many local schools and we are looking forward to bringing it to Mt. Bethel.

Look for more information regarding this event when we return to school in August or visit www.funrun.com to learn more about Boosterathon!

Walton High School Cheerleading Camp

The Walton High School Cheerleaders will teach cheers, chants, and dances.
Dates:
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Time: 2:00 - 4:30 pm

Cost: $65.00

Registration forms online: www.waltoncheerleading.com
Please call Judy Rogers (678-907-9541) with any questions.
Sponsored by: Walton Spirit Booster Club

Cultural Arts

We’ve had a wonderful year of cultural arts presentations - music genres from classical to blues  to jazz to opera, with a wide variety of musical instruments; exciting theatrical performances, such as Nate the Great and Hansel & Gretel; and of course, the thrilling storytelling talents of Eric Litwin, Carmen Deedy, and Yolanda Hernandez!  Who can forget the fun-filled performance by FoodPlay, featuring a little of everything -juggling, music, magic, and of course, funny characters - with an emphasis on healthy habits, nutritional eating, and exercise!  

We’re looking forward to providing the students with another year of creative and inspiring performances to bring out the artist in everyone!

COMMUNITY OUTREACH Your Donations Make a Difference

Thank you to all Mt. Bethel families who contributed food for the Powers Ferry Spring Break Food Pantry. Due to your generosity, we were able to distribute the following items at Powers Ferry Elementary on Monday, March 30:

Breakfast items: 538 servings
Lunch items: 270 servings
Snack items: 670 servings
Fruit items: 206 servings

Because of the large number of students on free/reduced lunch, these items were helpful in providing nutrition during the school break. We had over 40 families come through and select food for almost 60 children. The parents and students alike were very grateful and enjoyed being able to “shop” and pick the items they would like to eat. Because there were so many donated snack and breakfast items, the teachers were able to use them for CRCT classroom snacks. They too, are very thankful.

Big thanks goes to Susan Thrash, Karen Greene, Victoria Curran, and Wendy Giglio for volunteering their time to help with the food distribution. It was a rewarding experience for all involved. If you’d like to know how you could be involved in similar events in the future, please contact Susan Thrash, Mt. Bethel PTA Outreach Committee Chair, at CommunityOutreach@mtbethelpta.org.

Thank you to all Mt. Bethel families who contributed food for the Powers Ferry Spring Break Food Pantry. Due to your generosity, we were able to distribute the following items at Powers Ferry Elementary on Monday, March 30:

Breakfast items: 538 servings
Lunch items: 270 servings
Snack items: 670 servings
Fruit items: 206 servings

Because of the large number of students on free/reduced lunch, these items were helpful in providing nutrition during the school break. We had over 40 families come through and select food for almost 60 children. The parents and students alike were very grateful and enjoyed being able to “shop” and pick the items they would like to eat. Because there were so many donated snack and breakfast items, the teachers were able to use them for CRCT classroom snacks. They too, are very thankful.

Big thanks goes to Susan Thrash, Karen Greene, Victoria Curran, and Wendy Giglio for volunteering their time to help with the food distribution. It was a rewarding experience for all involved. If you’d like to know how you could be involved in similar events in the future, please contact Susan Thrash, Mt. Bethel PTA Outreach Committee Chair, at CommunityOutreach@mtbethelpta.org.

Recycle at Mt. Bethel!

Help the environment and Mt. Bethel.  Drop off your newspapers, magazines, and aluminum cans in the large recycling bins in the Mt. Bethel parking lot!!  Help the environment and Mt. Bethel!!

We are no longer accepting plastic bottles!

The following is a list of websites you might enjoy:

♦ Environmental Protection Agency's Kids Club
♦ Keep America Beautiful
♦ State of Georgia’s “Litter. It Costs You” Campaign
♦ National Wildlife Federation’s Green Hour

Mt. Bethel in April East Cobber!

Check out the April East Cobber Magazine for an article featuring Mt. Bethel's recent Art Show!

Click here for a link, then go to page 32!

Funding for School Nurses!

Great news and a heartfelt thank you to all the schools that sent in Popsicle sticks and to our members who called or emailed their legislators in our campaign to save the school nurse funding.

The 2010 budget that passed contained almost full funding for nurses: $29.1 M (only a 3% cut).

Congratulations on making your voices heard!

CRCT Testing Schedule

The CRCT will be administered  in 1st - 5th grades from April 21st - 28th.  Testing will begin each day promptly at 8:00 am.  Schedules for the entire school will be different during the five days of testing. For more information on the CRCT, please visit the Georgia Department of Education CRCT Site. 

Cobb County Testing Schedule:
April 21st -- Reading CRCT Grades 1-5 (Grades 3 and 5 must pass Reading in order to be promoted)
April 22nd -- English/Language Arts CRCT Grades 1-5
April 23rd -- Math CRCT Grades 1-5 (Grade 5 must pass Math in order to be promoted)
April 24th -- Science CRCT Grades 3-5
April 27th -- Social Studies CRCT Grades 3-5
April 28th -- Make-ups*

*Make-ups are also done in the afternoons of test days.

It's Butterfly Time!

On April 17, the PTA Science Enrichment Committee will deliver jars of caterpillars to more
than 25 teachers throughout the school, as well as butterfly cottages to teachers who do not already have habitats from previous years! 

About three weeks later, all of these caterpillars will become beautiful Painted Lady butterflies. After the butterflies spend a week or so in their classroom cottages drinking sugar water and eating fruit, the classes will release them outside so tha they can lay eggs and continue their life cycle.

Soup Labels Update

Thanks for clipping and sending in your Campbell’s Soup labels this year. We are up to over 5000 labels, and will shortly order a gift from the catalog! 

If you have any labels at home, please send them in. We will be mailing our labels by May 1st.

Keep clipping and saving your labels over the summer as we will continue the Soup Label program in the fall. Thanks for your support.

Help Pave the Way!

Mt. Bethel Track Committee is offering you the chance to help “Pave the way” to a new track at Mt. Bethel  through a brick paver purchase!  Through April 30^th,  for only $40 you can purchase a brick paver to help fund a new Asphalt Track for installation behind the school for use in the 2009/10 school year.    Don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of the “Sponsor Courtyard” overlooking the new Asphalt Track!  Click here to download the detailed flier and to order your paver!

PTA is going Green!

We are switching over to electronic communications for many items that would have normally been sent home as a flyer.  Be sure to sign up for PTA E-Minder, so you won’t miss out on important news! 

Click here-->http://mtbethelelementary.ptsamail.com/

You can also find a link for E-Minder sign-up on your teacher’s blog!

FoodPlay Dress-Rehearsal at Mt. Bethel!

Mt Bethel Elementary is thrilled to host a dress-rehearsal performance of the Emmy award-winning FoodPlay live theatre show on Tuesday, March 10th for all students!  

FoodPlay Productions has performed for over three million school children across the country and has been honored with national awards. Created by Barbara Storper, MS, RD, a leader in the field of children's nutrition, under original sponsorship by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, their research-based programs show dramatic success improving the nutrition and physical activity habits of the nation's youth.

Help Wanted - Challenger Publishing

ATTENTION PARENTS: Challenger Publishing needs your help for editing students' stories!

Challenger Publisher is a volunteer program where kids submit stories they have written to be "edited" by volunteer parent editors. After a few brief meetings with your student writer, the book is "published".  The time commitment for this fulfilling project is minimal, but the gratification is MAXIMAL! A brief informational meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 3/5 at 9a.m. and at 9:30a.m. Another meeting will be offered on 3/9 at 9:30 a.m. All meetings will be in the back of the Media Center. RSVP to if you are able to volunteer.  Please contact Wendy Alexander if you need more information.

Learning the editing process will only take a few moments of your time. Seeing the results will last even longer!

Food and Nutrition Services March Update

Monthly Update:

March is National Nutrition Month and National School Breakfast Week (March 2-6, 2009).  See attached for articles on breakfast (from USDA). 

 

FNS Art Contest:

Each month, FNS hosts an Art Contest for the website for all students.  For contest entry rules, themes and deadlines go to the FNS website.  The winner receives a prize and certificate, as well as, having their art work posted on our website.

Upcoming Theme:  "TV Turnoff Week"

Deadline:  March 17, 2009

 

FNS Monthly Promotions:

Each month, FNS promotes a nutrition theme in the cafeteria via bulletin boards, nutrition announcements, and/or classroom presentations.

 March:  National Nutrition Month "Eat Right" & National School Breakfast Week - Power Up! With School Breakfast" (March 2-6, 2009) 

For more information on National Nutrition Month visit the American Dietetic Association.  You can find information about the School Breakfast Program on the USDA website.

 

Resources:

School Nutrition Association - www.schoolnutrition.org

 

If you have interesting events or news regarding school nutrition or promotions happening at your school, please let us know and we'll be happy to share it with others.  Provide us feedback on how you are utilizing this information.  We want this to be a helpful tool for you.  Thank you and have a healthy month!

 

The FNS Department

 

Cindy Kanarek Culver, MS, RD, LD
Nutrition  & Wellness Supervisor
cindy.culver@cobbk12.org
Food and Nutrition Services

Partnership with Alliance Theatre!

Good news!! Mt. Bethel is proud to announce that we have begun our 3 year partnership with the Alliance Theatre!  On March 24, 2009, our third grade students will be attending a field trip to the Alliance Theatre to see the play Class of 3000.

Our school is also the  recipient of an ACE grant (Arts Curriculum Enhancement Grant) from the Georgia Council for the Arts,  which can be renewed for an additional 2 years. This grant and our Alliance partnership supports the cost of a multi-visit residency by an Alliance Theatre teaching artist in 4 of our third grade classrooms.

The residencies are arts integration based, with drama and language skills experienced through interactive group activities such as narrated pantomime and story enactment.  The partnership includes professional learning opportunities for the teachers involved in the program.

We look forward to our partnership with the Alliance Theatre and the drama experiences ahead for our students.

For more information about  the Alliance Theatre Education Department, please call 404-733-4700 or visit their website at www.Alliancetheatre.org.

 

Help Save School Nurse Funding – ACT NOW!!!

The Call to Action to conduct a Popsicle stick/tongue depressor campaign and to call your legislators about funding for school nurses went out two weeks ago and it’s starting to make a difference.  Our legislators are hearing you! 

When GA PTA is at the Capitol we hear comments from many legislators that they are hearing from their constituents and will try to keep the school nurse funding.  Keep up the good work!

We need to keep the calls and Popsicle sticks coming so our legislators keep that commitment to fund our school nurses. Additional information is available on the Georgia PTA website www.georgiapta.org. 

If you haven’t called your legislators, to find their contact info, click here and use the GA District Lookup under the Officials tab. 

Legislative Highlights - Week of Feb 16th

The General Assembly has completed 21 of the forty days that it will meet in 2009. As of the 20^th day, no new revenue bills may be introduced that can be passed this session.

Voucher Legislation! SB 90:
The Senate Education committee held its first hearing last week on SB 90 and GA PTA testified.  We stated that we were in support of the provisions in the bill that allow for public school choice but opposed those provisions that allow taxpayer dollars to be used to fund vouchers to send students to private schools.

New Legislation to Watch

HB 229: Student Health and Physical Education Act. Students in grades 4-12 enrolled in physical education in 2011-12 must have an annual fitness assessment approved by the state board of education during the PE class time. The aggregate results shall be reported to the state board yearly. PTA was successful in adding a requirement that the results of any assessment be reported to parents. Status: Will be voted on in the House this week.

SB 83: Increase the homestead exemption from $2000 to $4000.  What this means to you: You will pay less property taxes but the schools will have less money to use to fund education. Passed the Senate.

PTA Office Nominations - Due Mon, Feb 9th

On February 5th, the Mt. Bethel PTA General Membership approved a Nominating Committee.  The job of this Committee is to present a slate of proposed Executive Committee members for the 2009-2010 school year at the March 5th General PTA Meeting. 

If you are interested in submitting a name for consideration to the Nominating Committee, please complete the nominating form (click here for form), and submit it in a sealed envelope to the PTA.  There will be a designated container on top of the PTA file cabinet to receive these forms.  These forms are due by 2:20 pm, Monday, February 9th.