Bear News - Oct. 20, 2017

Jamari Williams
Funeral arrangements have been announced for Jamari. Saturday, October 21 at Mobile Heights Baptist Church at noon. Bear students who attend the funeral are asked to wear a navy Bear polo. It was Jamari's favorite shirt.

A celebration of Jamari's life, including a performance by his dance group, will be held tonight - Friday evening at the Bellingrath Community Center from 5:30-7:00. Jamari's mother, Monique Davis, invites all to come and remember Jamari fondly by sharing happy and funny stories about him.

G.E.M. Day Postponed
G.E.M. (Gardening Education Maintenance) Day for this Saturday has been cancelled so that students and parents can attend Jamari’s funeral. We will reschedule soon.

Bear Wear
Bear Wear orders are due today. The web store will be open until 5:00 p.m. tonight. Orders will be delivered in 2-3 weeks.

Fall Festival
Thank you to EVERYONE who came to the Fall Festival this year. It was so much fun! We raised lots of money for the PTA through ticket sales, raffle baskets, t-shirts, bake sale items, food sales, and sponsorships. A huge thank you to Traci Schell and Victoria Little for organizing a great afternoon. And thank you to all the parents, student volunteers, and grandparents who helped everything run so smoothly. It was an awesome team effort!

We still have some t-shirts available so contact Traci to inquire about sizes. FF t-shirts can be worn on Fridays.

Specialist Spotlight
Don’t forget to purchase something for our October’s specialist – Mrs. Harrison. So far, she hasn’t received ANYTHING. Don’t make her sad… bring in a used book for her today and don’t forget to sign the log so that your child might win the drawing.

Her wish list…
· New Books
· Used Books
· Rubber Bands
· Gallon Ziploc bags
· AA Batteries
· Office Depot Gift Cards (for ink)

RED RIBBON WEEK
Next week (October 23-27) is National Red Ribbon Week.
This is a week where children learn about the importance of being drug-free. To encourage our kids to make good choices, we have some fun spirit days planned.

MONDAY - I Pledge to be Drug Free

Wear your BLUE RIBBON SHIRT AND BLUE JEANS (or your uniform)

TUESDAY - “Red”-Y to Live a Drug Free Life

Wear your 2017 RED FALL FESTIVAL SHIRT OR A SCHOOL APPROPRIATE RED SHIRT AND JEANS (or your uniform)

WEDNESDAY - Don’t Let Drugs Mix You Up

Wear SCHOOL APPROPRIATE MISMATCHED CLOTHING (or your uniform)

THURSDAY - These Paws Don’t Touch Drugs

REGULAR SCHOOL UNIFORM DAY 

Bring a small bag of dry puppy, dog, kitten, or cat food for the Montgomery Humane Society

FRIDAY - Give Drugs the Boot

Wear your 2017-2018 blue theme shirt (or other approved Friday shirts) and your FAVORITE BOOTS

DID YOU KNOW? Children of parents who talk to their teens regularly about drugs are 42% less likely to use drugs than those who don't, yet only a quarter of teens report having these conversations. Talk to your kids about drugs!

REFLECTIONS ART CONTEST
Reflections is a national PTA-sponsored arts competition. Students from around the country are asked to create original works of art in the categories of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts. Students can enter more than one category. The theme is VERY IMPORTANT!

The Bear PTA will give away CASH PRIZES for the winners (1st-3rd places) at our school. Cash prizes will be given out in all categories for entries from K-2 and Grades 3-5. We have had several of our students win awards at the county and state levels the last couple years. We hope to see some great pieces in November to maintain our reputation.

Reflections is a great program that allows our kids to express themselves by being creative! Please see the rules at Reflections Rules and/or email Kelley Phelps with questions. For more inspiration, watch this video .

DISCOUNT CARD FIELD TRIP - CHUCK E. CHEESE’S Field trip forms went home this past week for the Chuck E. Cheese’s field trip to reward our top sellers. If your child sold more than 25 discount cards, you should have received this form. If you have not, then please contact Traci Schell.

A Message from Principal Elizabeth Hill

October 13, 2017

A Message to the Bear Family

Our hearts are broken. It is with great sadness that I inform you of the loss of one of our fifth-grade students on Wednesday night. On Thursday morning, we made the difficult decision to inform our fourth- and fifth-grade students to prevent the spread of piecemeal information that they may have heard from other sources. Our counselor, Carlos Booker, informed those students that the young man had passed away, but given their young ages and out of sensitivity, did not give them additional details. Our students wrote letters and made cards for the student’s family, and we had counselors available to them from across the district. I also notified fourth- and fifth-grade parents by phone yesterday and have informed all parents today so you may decide whether it is appropriate to talk with your child this evening.

It is natural for children to have questions and fears. The following may be helpful:

• Tell the truth. 
• Allow your child to talk about his or her feelings. If this is the first loss your child has experienced, your child may not know how to respond and will be looking for your guidance. 
• Affirm all expressions. It is okay to express feelings honestly. Tolerate the expressions rather than dismissing them or discouraging the expression of feelings. 
• Encourage written expressions such as notes, letters, or drawings. 
• Reaffirm that your child is safe and that your child is loved. 
• Affirm that your child’s reaction is normal and you understand the way the child feels. 
• Watch for signs of trouble such as aggression, anger, withdrawal, etc. 
• Help the child return to as normal a routine as possible. 

In addition, if you feel that your child needs additional support, please call the school office at 284-8014.

A few words of caution regarding social media: We are aware of the rumors that are circulating and understand that many are struggling to understand why this happened to such a wonderful child. Do not believe everything you read, and out of respect for the family, please do not post rumors or speculation. We encourage you to post positive thoughts or memories and offer words of encouragement and support to the child’s family.

Most Sincerely,
Elizabeth R. Hill
Principal

Bear News - Oct 4, 2017

Happy October, everyone!

PARENT VISITATION DAYIt’s time for a… Parent Round-Up!
WHERE: Bear Exploration Center
WHEN: Friday, October 6, 9:00 – 3:00
WHAT:

·         Tour the outdoor classroom
·         Tour the Science Lab 
·         Learn about Accelerated Reader (AR) (Kindergarten, 1st, & 2nd grades)
·         Make & Take Math Games (3rd grade)
·         Produce artwork for your child (3rd grade)
·         Conference with the teachers (All grade levels)
·         Visit the Library/Media Center
·         Visit the Technology Lab
·         Take a “selfie” in our Jail!

FALL FESTIVALWe need raffle basket items for our Fall Festival. Please continue to send items to school with your child until next Wednesday. There will be a table set up at the school on Parent Visitation day. If you are planning to attend, you can drop your items off there. Please get these items in soon so we can display the baskets before the Fall Festival.

Basket themes are as follows:

Kindergarten - Family Fun
First Grade - Pamper Me
Second Grade - Arts and Crafts
Third Grade - Taste of the River Region
Fourth Grade - Roll Tide/War Eagle
Fifth Grade - Gift Card Basket

The last day to purchase wristbands for $12 is Monday, October 16. Wristbands will be $15 on the day of the event. Purchase them today at the Bear PTA web store.

BEAR WEAR
Even though it is still 90 degrees, it will be COLD before you know it. Do you know where your child’s school jacket is? Bear Wear order forms will be available on Parent Visitation Day for you to fill out. You can pay in person or send money in with your child the following week. We will have some items on hand (magnets, caps) for sale on Friday. You can buy Bear Wear at the Bear PTA web store.

SPECIALIST SPOTLIGHT
For each month of the school year, we will choose a Bear Specialist to shower with some extra love. Please have your child bring in items from this teacher’s wish list. When your child brings in an item, make sure that he/she signs the Gift Log. At the end of the month, one student from the Gift Log (chosen at random) will win a Nancy’s gift card and a Bear Buck (good at the school supply cart and the Book Fair).

OCTOBER’S SPECIALIST IS MRS. HARRISON – LITERACY COACH
Mrs. Harrison will have a box and a Gift Log sheet on a table near the Third Grade classrooms.

·         New Books
·         Used Books
·         Rubber Bands
·         Gallon Ziploc bags
·         AA Batteries
·         Office Depot Gift Cards (for ink)

DISCOUNT CARDS
Discount Cards will be available for purchase on Parent Visitation Day. They make great tokens of appreciation for your mail carrier, UPS/FedEx delivery people, sanitation workers, etc. We are close to hitting a BIG number (a record!!), and we’d love to sell just a few more cards…