February 2, 2010 Tuesday News
February 3rd, 2010
Wednesday 2/3: Brent Bears News Meeting, 8:10 a.m. in Ms. Homayoun’s room. All kids are welcome
Wednesday 2/3: Chinese for Grownups, 5:30-7 p.m. in the Chinese classroom
Wednesday 2/3: Open House for Prospective Parents, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday 2/3: LSRT and PTA Executive Board review of SY11 budget, 7:30 p.m. in the Brent library
Friday 2/5: No uniform day!
Wednesday 2/10: Meeting of 5th grade students and parents – preparing applications for middle school, 6:30 p.m. in the library
Friday 2/12: No School – Professional Development Day
Monday 2/15: No School – President’s Day
A Great Day at the Bird Count: A note from Mr. Mangiaracina: A great time was had by all at the first annual New Year’s Bird Count for Kids on Saturday. We had at least 60 students and their parents in attendance, with three teams braving the surprise snowstorm to go out into the field to survey birds. A total of 20 species of birds were seen through snowflakes. Back at school we were treated to a demonstration of live hawks, owls and falcons, birdy craft projects and hands-on bird learning. I’d like to thank all of our parent volunteers who made this day possible and for all the support that got this new event off the ground. The most special thanks of all, though, goes to my wife Alisa Glassman. Not only did she do 100 different things to keep the day flowing, she provided the energy and inspiration to keep me going. We all owe her a big thanks for making the bird count possible!
Free Chinese Classes for Grownups: Parents and other Brent grownups have an amazing opportunity to take free Chinese classes again this semester. Join Brent’s fabulous Chinese for Grownups class on Wednesday nights from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Chinese classroom. It’s a great way to learn a new skill and to keep up with your kids’ Chinese. All parents and other Brent grownups are welcome, even if you didn’t take the class last semester, and all materials are provided free of charge. Special thanks to the Confucius Institute at George Mason University for making this opportunity possible. Contact Tobie Meyer-Fong at tmeyerf@mindspring.com with any questions.
Afterschool Chinese: Just a reminder to all participants in the kids’ afterschool Chinese program, there will be no Chinese classes on Tuesday or Wednesday Feb. 9-10. This was indicated on the enrollment form and is not a change to the schedule, but we wanted to send out a reminder to make sure you all have this on your calendars. Thanks!
No Uniforms on Friday: In honor of the 100th day of school, Dr. Wilhoyte has announced that students will not have to wear their uniforms on Friday Feb. 5. Thanks to Jack Johnson and Saul Meyer-Fong in Ms. Homayoun’s class for writing letters to Dr. Wilhoyte requesting the non-uniform day!
Join the Destination Imagination Team: Destination Imagination, a PTA afterschool enrichment program led by Ms. Basralian and Ms. Dinkes, kicked off last Thursday. Students completed their first challenge – conceiving and developing a product and then creating an assembly line to produce it. There is still room for more students in the program, which is open to kids in grades 1 through 5. If your child is interested in using creativity and imagination to work collaboratively to compete in challenges, please see Jocelyn Linde in the office to sign up. The program costs $125 for the semester.
Spring Gala Auction Items: We’re looking for donations of auction and raffle items for Brent’s Spring Gala. If you have something to donate or know a business that would like to make a donation, please contact Denise Diggs at denise.diggs@verizon.net or Bessie Thibodeaux-Belcher at besthib@aol.com. Items of interest include: vacation rentals, wine, jewelry, theater tickets, babysitting, weekend getaways, sports memorabilia, tickets to sports events, professional services, dining gift certificates, artwork, birthday party packages, spa services, and books by local authors. This is the Brent PTA’s #1 fundraising source. Please be creative and generous!
Joe Corbi Fundraiser: We’re selling Joe Corbi’s delicious pizzas and cookie dough again this year as a fundraiser for Brent. Order forms will be going home in kids’ backpacks soon, orders are due by Feb. 26 and will be delivered to the school on March 17. Please get involved and help Brent!
Thanks Green Team: Lisa Perry and Heidi Johnson put a package of school ID badges together for each teacher to use when they go out of the building on field trips. The badges (which can be clipped on the students’ shirts or hung by a new cool “Brent ES” lanyard) have the school name, address and phone number, as well as a contact number for the teacher. The total cost was $400, paid from the Schoolyard Greening Funds.
Brent International Night: Brent’s annual International Night celebration will be on Thursday March 11. Last year’s event was a huge success, with amazing food, cultural artifacts, international performances, and a fashion show where students wore clothes from throughout the world. Please let Ms. Homayoun know if you can help with this year’s program – by donating international food, helping with a variety show/fashion show, helping with set up or clean up, or by contacting a country’s embassy for information to display that evening. Please fill in the sign-up sheet that went home last week or e-mail Ms. Homayoun at all4wski@yahoo.com
Extra Brent Open House: In response to a tremendous number of recent requests, Brent will be holding an additional Open House for prospective Brent families on Wednesday Feb. 3 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Spread the word if you have friends or neighbors who are interested in learning more about our wonderful school. RSVPs appreciated but not required to ldatella@yahoo.com.
Quality Family Time: Valentines for Veterans at the National Children’s Museum (112 Waterfront St., National Harbor, Md.) on Saturday Feb. 6 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Make Valentine’s Day cards to be distributed to veterans during the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans. See www.ncm.museum/launch_zone/events for details. Heart to Heart in the ImaginAsia classroom at the Sackler Gallery (1050 Independence Ave., SW), Saturday Feb. 6 from 1-3 p.m. Listen to traditional love songs from Asia and create origami hearts to give to family and special friends on Valentine’s Day. See www.asia.si.edu/events. Black History Month Family Day Celebration at the Smithsonian American History Museum, Saturday Feb. 6 from 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Create a cut-out genealogy book, see “Join the Student Sit-Ins,” an award-winning interactive theatrical presentation, listen to “Sing for Freedom,” a musical program that celebrates the role of freedom songs in the Civil Rights movement, watch the “Can You Spell Harlem?” puppet show, and meet children’s book authors Ann Ingalls and Maryann Macdonald. See www.si.edu/events/nmah.htm for the full schedule. Counting America: African American History Program Free Family Day at the Koshland Science Museum (6th and E Sts., NW) Saturday Feb. 6 from 12-5 p.m. Explore the role of math and statistics in the census and in everyday life and the importance of how people define each other and themselves. See www.koshland-science-museum.org/events.
Several Short Notes
Keep Collecting Box Tops: The Box Tops competition is still on! Please keep clipping Box Tops and sending them to the school in an envelope of baggie marked with your child’s classroom teacher’s name. The class with the most Box Tops turned in by Feb. 22 will win a popcorn party. For a list of products that include the Box Tops logo, see www.boxtops4education.com Enrollment Letter: Please return the Letter of Intent for School Year 2010-2011 to the Brent office as soon as possible. It’s very important to fill out this form to let the school and DCPS know whether or not your child plans to attend Brent again next year, so we’ll know how many seats will be available for new students.
