In this Issue
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Want to be included in the
Brinker Directory?
If you would like to be included in the Brinker Directory, click here to go to Membership Toolkit to complete your contact information. While you are there, you can also join PTA! While all families can be listed in the directory, Brinker directories are only available to PTA members. We hope you will consider joining PTA as your membership greatly benefits your children.
Click here to learn more about the programs and events that Brinker PTA provides for Brinker students! |
 WIN Cinemark Movie Tickets!
The #1 reason to join the Brinker PTA is to support your student and school. Join us and get involved in the Brinker PTA family. The #2 reason to join the Brinker PTA today is a chance to win Cinemark Movie passes! Become a member of the Brinker PTA family by August 31, 2012 and you will be entered in a drawing for 4 Cinemark movie passes!
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Family Picnic
Save the Date!
The Brinker Family Picnic is scheduled for September 21st. If you would like an opportunity to volunteer at one of our first big events of the year, please contact Tamie Burnett at tburnett@brinkerpta.org.
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NEW to Brinker this Year?
Stop by the Newcomer's Coffee, meet other new families and ask questions about the school.
Newcomer's Coffee
Friday, September 28 9:30-11:30 (come and go)
Home of Kimberly Rumbough
4017 Bridgeport Drive (just off Yeary near Willow Bend)
RSVP appreciated at 972-473-7404 or |
B.E.A.R.S. Campaign
Though Sally Foster and other traditional fundraisers are back this year, you are always welcome to make a cash donation to our B.E.A.R.S Campaign (Benefactors for Educators, Academic Resources & Students). 100% of your donation is tax deductible and 100% of your donation goes directly towards programs that benefit each and every student at Brinker Elementary. Look for the B.E.A.R.S. donation page when you log on to the Membership Toolkit. Contact Kim Gleason at kgleason@brinkerpta.org with any questions. |
New Spirit Wear!
The new Brinker Spirit Wear collection is now available for order! It's all available online in our Membership Toolkit!
Preorder your spirit wear online by August 31 for delivery by the end of September. If you have any questions, email spiritwear@brinkerpta.org.
Austine Chan & Alison Grzyb
Brinker PTA Spirit Wear Co-Chairs
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Box Tops for Brinker!
We hope you have been clipping and saving over the summer! Support your Brinker Bears by turning in Box Tops for Education. Did you know that each box top is worth 10 cents?! We will collect them once in the fall and once in the spring with bragging rights going to the family that has saved the most!
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2012-13 Yearbooks
Order Early and Save!
2012-2013 Brinker yearbooks will be sold online on the Membership Toolkit. If you order on or before August 31st, you will get the discounted price of $22. After that, the price for a yearbook will increase to $25, so order early! Yearbooks will be delivered to students on Yearbook Signing Day in May 2013. For questions regarding yearbooks, please contact: Shannon GarzaBrinker PTA Historian yearbook@brinkerpta.org
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Calling All Volunteers!
Have you completed your volunteer application for the 2012-13 school year? We encourage ALL parents to complete and submit an application for security clearance. The application must be completed EVERY school year and it only takes about 5 minutes. Applications are accepted beginning July 1st every year. Click here to go to the PISD volunteer application page.
For more information about Volunteering in Plano ISD, click here. If you have any questions or challenges when completing the online form, please contact the Plano ISD Resource Center at 469-752-2180 or Rhonda Snyder (see contact info below) .
We love our volunteers and don't want to turn anyone away because their security application is not completed. Thank you for your understanding. We all share the same goal: your child's safety!
Rhonda Snyder
Brinker PTA, VP Volunteers
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Front and Center!
Do you have a smiling face? Are you willing to assist the Brinker front office staff on miscellaneous items? If so, WE NEED YOU! GREETER DESK is a volunteer position that allows you to work a small amount of time and make a HUGE difference! This position requires us to staff one volunteer each morning at the front desk in order to assist the front office as needed.
Super easy and fun!
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Shop Tom Thumb and Earn $$ for Brinker!
It's easy to earn money for the Brinker PTA by shopping at your local Tom Thumb. Just stop by Customer Service and ask them to link your Rewards card with Charity #4857 and a portion of all of your purchases will come back to your school! Click here for a form that you can complete and drop off.
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Legislative Update
Welcome to another great school year! With the kids back in school it is the perfect time to check items off the "to do" list. An easy one is registering to vote. If you are not registered, or don't remember if you are, click here to get more information. The last day to register to vote is October 9.
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Sally Foster is back and better than ever!
Time to stock up on all your annual wrapping and gift needs AND support our school at the same time! Our gift wrap sale begins on September 14th and ends on September 28th. Included again this year are the ever popular buckets of Cookie Dough! Orders may be done on the traditional order forms or online, all year round, at www.sallyfoster.com. The NEW NEWS is that ALL Sally Foster orders will be shipped directly to the buyer (cookie dough will still be distributed at school since it requires refrigeration). Catalogs and order forms will be coming home in September. In the meantime, if you have any questions, or would like to help with the sale, please contact Kim Gleason at kgleason@brinkerpta.org. |
TLC is looking for a few good bakers!
Love to bake?Find yourself baking goodies and then giving them to friends just so you won't eat them? Well then, this is YOUR committee! TLC (or Totally Luscious Cakes) is in need of volunteers to bake and deliver cakes to our wonderful teachers and staff. Cakes will be delivered on a special day of their choice. Recipes provided. If you are interested, please contact Sandee Rae at srae@brinkerpta.orgThank you and Happy Baking!
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2012-2013 Exec Board and Chair Members
Click here to see a full listing of the names and contact info of the 2012-2013 Executive Board and Chair Members.
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Questions regarding the Bear Facts Newsletter? If so, please contact:
Julie Wax
1st VP Communications
Brinker Elementary PTA
communication@brinkerpta.org
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Volunteer(s) of the Month
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Volunteers of the Month - August
Cub Scout Pack 283
Cub Scout Pack 283 is an integral part of Brinker Elementary! Every year, the boys perform a service project for Brinker. In years past, they have picked up litter around the school grounds. However, this August the Senior Webelos (5th graders) planted flowers as their Brinker service project. The dads were awesome at teaching the boys the proper techniques for preparing the flower beds, planting flowers, and spreading mulch.
Thank you Cub Scouts for helping to make the front of the school look more colorful and beautiful! |
| Dining Fundraiser at California Pizza Kitchen | | |
Thanks to all who came to Yogurt Zone after Back to Brinker!
Our first real dining night is right around the corner! Mark your calendar for September 10 and 11. Take a break from cooking and plan to come out with your Brinker friends! Eat at (or take out from) California Pizza Kitchen any time on those dates. Great food, fun with friends and the Brinker PTA earns money for great programs. Just bring in the flyer your child will bring home from school and give it to your server or cashier.
California Pizza Kitchen, Willow Bend Mall
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Grade Level Brinker Workroom Volunteers Needed
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If you can count to 28, use a paper cutter and tear out pages from workbooks, then the Brinker Workroom needs you! We need 4-5 volunteers each week to help our teachers with behind the scenes work. This time will be spent on work for all grades, including Special Education, PACE and various other projects.
All instructions and supplies are provided. The Brinker Workroom is located in the back of the school office and is available Tuesday through Friday each week, between 7:30 am and 2:45 pm. Look for this volunteer opportunity when completing your online registration in the Membership Toolkit. This is a great opportunity to see what our children are learning and give a helping hand to our wonderful teachers!
The teachers really appreciate this help!
If you have any questions, please contact Nikki Moulinet at workroom@brinkerpta.org. |
Brinker VIP Tutors Needed!
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The VIP Program needs YOU!
We have students who enter Brinker's doors from all back-grounds and a wide variety of educational experiences. We offer many programs to meet the various needs of all of our children. One of our most crucial and successful programs is our VIP "Very Important Partner" program. The VIP program reaches out to our students who are struggling because they need a little extra time and attention, or need help grasping one or more concepts in the classroom. However the VIP program relies 100% on parent or community volunteers to mentor and tutor these particular students.
GOALS OF THE VIP PROGRAM
- To give students a chance to develop a positive relationship with a caring member of the community
- To broaden a student's understanding of skills and concepts which have already been presented in the classroom
- To enhance the confidence level of a student which results in increased success in the classroom
- To allow parents and tutors to model the traits of life-long learning and reading to the students
- To promote self-esteem in the students served by the special attention given to them by a caring adult
- To allow teachers and VIP tutors to strive together to improve the education of ALL Brinker students
Please consider joining our "VIP" team of caring mentors whose goal is to provide opportunities for all children to maximize their learning potential. The commitment is once a week for 30 minutes from mid-October through mid-May. We supply all the materials and no experience is necessary. Training will be in early October at Brinker.
For more information, please contact Tamara Tool at ttool@brinkerpta.org or Julie Barnard at julie.barnard@pisd.edu.
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Brinker Chess Program
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 Did you know that chess is not only FUN to the kids playing, but there are many BRAINY BENEFITS of chess too?
A simple Google search of chess will lead you to numerous articles and research that show that chess teaches children important life skills.
For example, chess:
- improves logic and reasoning
- builds strategic thinking and problem solving skills
- teaches patience and discipline
- enhances competitive skills while encouraging development of good sportsmanship
- increases attention, focus, and concentration
Whether your child is new to chess or has been playing for several years, they are invited to join Chess Club on Thursdays from 4:00 - 5:15. Coach Bobby Hillman is a staff member at Plano West Senior High and has been teaching chess to Brinker students for years. He is a USCF certified chess instructor and would love to teach your child! Each session runs for 6 weeks and culminates with a Brinker Chess Club chess tournament.
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Brinker Science Program
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 Brainopolis Science After School Program to Start Week of Sept 13th
This year Brinker kids will be able to participate in four different modules:
- Professions
- Wonders of the World
- Build your own Airport
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Build your own Zoo
In the first module kids will uncover the science behind different professions as they are hired to perform a different job in every session. As a dentist they will learn about teeth, and create their own denture model. As archaeologists, they will dig fossils and learn about prehistoric eras. As doctors they will immobilize broken bones. Binary system and technology as computers engineers. Design their own house as architects. Learn about maps and buoyancy as cartographers. The more they play the more they will learn. Kids will take a project home in each class.
Cost per 7 session-module $84. Classes are once a week on Tuesday 4-5pm for kids from K-2nd grade and Thursday 4-5pm for kids 3-5th grade. Click here for registration form.
For more information please contact science@brinkerpta.org.
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WOKC
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Help Us Wipe Out Kids' Cancer!
Join Brinker Team Eric!
Join the fight against childhood cancer by running or walking in the 27th annual Tom Thumb WOKC Oktoberfest Run for the Children on Saturday, September 22, 2012. Your registration as either a participant or a virtual runner (if you cannot attend) will help ensure our team is once again a contestant for the Spirit Award. The Brinker Elementary team is once again dedicating our race efforts to the memory of Eric Hughes, son of Brinker teacher, Carol Hughes, who lost his fight to neuroblastoma in 1999. All proceeds from this event benefit Wipe Out Kids' Cancer, a 32 year old Dallas-based non-profit with the vision of a day when all children are living cancer-free. Join Brinker Team Eric and support a great cause!
- Register online at www.oktoberfest5K.com
- Click the Register Online Tab
- Scroll down to Visit Team Homepages
- Select BRINKER TEAM ERIC
- Select Click Here to Register or Click Here to Contribute
- Register by noon on Monday, Sept. 17th to be part of the school packet pick-up
Brinker Team Eric Packet Pick-Up
Tuesday, September 18 2:30-3:15
2nd Grade Walker Exit |
| Tuesday Tunes | |
Music speaks when there are no words
Musicians practice, practice, practice so that they can perfect and perform. TUESDAY TUNES allows Brinker student-musicians the opportunity to showcase their talent (and hard work) in a unique setting! Unlike recitals and stage productions, TUESDAY TUNES takes place in a casual, relaxed environment.
Every Tuesday morning a Brinker student performs in the lobby for students and teachers as they enter the building to start the school day. The student plays his/her instrument continuously from 7:30 am to 7:45 am. Immediately following, the student is introduced as the musician of the day on the "Good Morning Brinker" broadcast!
TUESDAY TUNES...because every performance counts!
If you have any questions regarding Tuesday Tunes, please contact
Katrina Parker at kparker@brinkerpta.org.
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Reflections Program
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Brinker's PTA is proud to announce Reflections 2012 - 2013 Theme,"The Magic of a Moment".
It is never too early to start thinking about next year's Reflections program. Maybe you will see something or do something that makes you think of 'The Magic of the Moment'.
Reflections is a National PTA Program (not a contest) including:
- 6 art categories: Dance/Choreography, Music Composition, Film/Video, Literature, Photography & Visual Art
- 4 judging levels: Local, Council or Area, State & National
The Reflections theme for 2012 - 2013 is "The Magic of the Moment". Use your imagination to create a film, song, artwork, photograph, poem, short story or dance routine. You may enter as many times as you like in as many categories as you like. Each entry must be accompanied by an official entry form. Be sure to reflect the theme in your work.
For more information, contact Kesha McLeod at kmcleod@brinkerpta.org or Kesha Fuller at kfuller@brinkerpta.org.
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Plano West Lacrosse
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Learn to play Lacrosse with the Wolfpack!
 If you don't know anything about lacrosse, but think a game played with 10 players on a field who are catching, throwing, dodging and shooting at a goal (while making offensive and defensive moves on the run - with sticks in hand) sounds fun, you're right! At Brinker, many boys can be seen in the halls each day wearing patterned "lacrosse" shorts; the "LAX" group continues to grow every season! Plano West provides a youth (K-8) developmental high school "feeder" program with a structure that enables beginning, intermediate and advanced players to acquire skills, compete at an age/ability-appropriate level, and, most of all, enjoy the game!
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Get Connected with the PTA!
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What does the Brinker PTA do for you, the student, the teachers and the school?
Student Events:
- Author Visits
- Student Assemblies
- Classroom Academic Programs
- National PTA Reflections Program
- Classroom Parties
- Field Day
- Tuesday Tunes
- Brinker Bash
- Field Trips
- Science Enrichment
- Chess Enrichment
- Literacy Enrichment
Our Parents and Families:
- Fall Family Picnic
- Wipe Out Kids Cancer Fun Run
- Blood Drive
- Cultural Diversity Program
- Practical Parent Education
- 5th Grade End of Year Celebration
- Family Social Event
- Legislative Updates
Our School Community:
- Scholastic Book Fair
- Science Fair
- VIP Tutoring
- Youth Protection & Safety Awareness
- Experience the Awareness Day
- Environmental Education
- School Beautification Projects
Teachers and Staff:
- Provide Office & Library Assistance
- Provide Funding for Classroom Supplies
- Staff Appreciation Events
- Fulfill Teacher Wish Lists
- TLC - Totally Luscious Cakes
The #1 reason to join PTA is to support your student and school. Join us and get involved - GET CONNECTED! - in the Brinker PTA family. Go online today to our Membership Toolkit. Shirley Keating
Brinker PTA, Membership
membership@brinkerpta.org |
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