Bear News - April 19, 2019

Art Show
Please make plans to attend the Art Show on Wednesday, April 24 during your child’s lunch time. You won’t want to miss buying your child’s masterpieces and supporting our awesome Art department. There are also lovely grade-level raffle projects available. Cash, checks and credit cards accepted. A $.50 fee will be added to all credit card transactions.

Teacher Appreciation Week
Bear will celebrate our teachers and staff during the week of Monday, April 29 – Friday, May 3. Keep your eye out for a flyer coming home with your student early next week with a listing of all of the theme days to honor our teachers. The PTA also sponsors a lot of fun things for our teachers and staff during the week (Massages! Workroom Treats!). A highlight of the week is a beautiful and delicious catered luncheon in the library. We are still in need of many door prizes for this event. Please can you help!

Gift Cards Needed – Teacher Luncheon
The PTA is requesting that families send in $5 or $10 gift cards to be used as door prizes at the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. Gift cards can be to any store or restaurant (e.g., Walmart, Target, Starbucks). Many businesses will donate if asked. Please send new gifts or gift cards to school with your child in an envelope labeled “PTA – Teacher Appreciation” by Friday, April 26. We thank you for your support for making this week EXTRA special for our EXTRA special staff!

School Supplies
Prepaid School Supply forms will come home Wednesday, April 24 and be due Wednesday, May 1. The fees range from $65-75 per student depending on the grade. School Supplies can also be purchased online. In addition to School Supplies, you will have the option to add and prepay for a replacement Field Trip shirt and/or next year’s Theme Shirt.  This will guarantee your child will have these items the first week of school. There will be a $10 late fee for any School Supply fees turned in after May 1st unless arrangements have been made for a payment plan.

Personalized Bricks
If you’d like to leave a permanent mark at Bear and help support our Outdoor Classroom, you can do so by purchasing a commemorative brick. You can honor your child, a special teacher or friend by crafting your own personalized message. Bricks are $40. Additional bricks in the same order are $30. The deadline has been extended to Monday, April 22. You can use this older order form and send it in to your child’s teacher by Monday. Bricks will arrive before the end of the school year, and students will be able to place their own bricks in the garden.

Earth Day/GEM Days
Bear Exploration Center is teaming up with our PTA Garden committee to host the second annual Bear Earth Day Extravaganza on Friday, April 26. We have five large flower beds in our lovely garden to fill up. We are asking each child to bring in one potted plant or flower by Thursday, April 25. Perennials are preferred – they are the gifts that keep on giving - but annuals are awesome too. “Full Sun” plants will work best in our garden. Your child will love being a part of the Earth Day Extravaganza, so make sure to send a flower/plant in for your child to plant. Please direct questions to Ashleigh Livingston.

Ashleigh and the Garden committee are also planning a clean-up day after the Earth Day Extravaganza on Saturday, April 27 from 10 am – 1 pm.  The next GEM Day (Garden Education and Maintenance) will be Saturday, May 4 also from 10 am – 1 pm. GEM Days are not just about maintenance, it’s about spending time outside with friends and family, exposing your children to gardening, and helping your child’s school. We hope to see you there.

Golden Bear Breakfast
The Bear PTA hosts a special breakfast to honor our grandparents and special friends who join the Golden Bears Club by making a $30 donation at the beginning of the school year. All Golden Bears should have received their invitations to the breakfast which will be held on Thursday, April 25 at 8:00 am. Golden Bears are encouraged to attend this event with their grandchildren. We LOVE our Golden Bear supporters!

Specialist Spotlight
The last Specialist Spotlight of the year is Mrs. Lanier – our Technology Guru! At the top of Mrs. Lanier’s wish list is HP 63XL ink cartridges (black and color), Office Depot gift cards, Lysol wipes, Mavalus tape, and double-sided tape. Other items that she would love to have are copy paper (white and colored) and packs of 24-count Crayola crayons.

Transition Meetings
Transition meetings for Kindergarten through Fourth Grade are in the process of being scheduled. Your child’s transition meeting will be conducted by the teachers of the grade level your child will be in next year. The purpose of the transition meeting is to give parents a broad overview of your child’s upcoming grade level. The teachers will share information regarding how next year will differ from the current year, skills that should have been mastered, and suggestions for summer practice so that students will not experience summer learning loss.

It is our hope that spring transition meetings will help ensure a successful 2019-2020 school year. Detailed information day-to-day classroom procedures and operation will be covered on Back to School Night in August.

Spirit Night/Week – Five Points
Bear PTA is partnering with a new local business, Five Points Deli, located in the Cloverdale area. When you dine at Five Points Deli between Tuesday, May 7 and Saturday, May 11, be sure to mention Bear Exploration Center Spirit Week. We will receive a portion of the proceeds. 

PTA Meeting/Fifth Grade Play
Our last PTA Meeting will be Tuesday, May 14. Please plan to attend our final meeting as we wrap up the year, install new officers and give out awards. If you need assistance or information in another language, please let us know.

UPCOMING DATES
Brick Deadline – Monday, April 22
Art Show – Wednesday, April 24
School Supplies
Go on Sale – Wednesday, April 24
Deadline – Wednesday, May 1
Flower/Plant Donations due – Thursday, April 25
Golden Bear Breakfast – Thursday, April 25
Gift Card Donations for Teachers due – Friday, April 26
Earth Day Extravaganza – Friday, April 26
Extravaganza Clean-Up – Saturday, April 27
Teacher Appreciation Week – Monday, April 29 – Friday, May 3
GEM Day – Saturday, May 4
Five Points Deli Spirit Week - Tuesday, May 7 and Saturday, May 11
Specialist Spotlight deadline – Mrs. Lanier – Friday, May 10
PTA Meeting/ Fifth Grade Play - Tuesday, May 14