Beagle 
Bugle
PTA Newsletter 
05.16.2016

  Website: 
In This Issue
Principal's Letter
Teacher Appreciation Week
Family Movie Night/Hopelink Drive
Last General Membership Meeting and Elections
Student Council Drive for Homeless Youth
3rd Grade Artist Visit
Art Showcase-Thanks
Musical - Thanks
New Yearbook Team Needed
SchoolPool for Spring
Last Box Tops Collection
Free ELL Classes For Parents
Math Challenge 14
Extra Extra!
Quick Links
IMPORTANT DATES
(Filtered for Rockwell)

May 16-20th
Teacher Appreciation Week

May 20th, Fri
"UP" Movie Night/Hopelink Drive
6-8:30pm

**May 26th, Thurs**
PTA General Membership Mtg
7pm Rockwell Library
Elections for 2016/17 School Year
Budget Vote for 2016/17
**All invited - Please come**

May 30th, Mon
NO SCHOOL
Memorial Day

June 7th, Tues
11:45 am - 1:00 pm
Volunteer & Staff Awards Celebration
Library

June 8th, Weds
Field Day
9 am - 11:30 am
*Volunteer Requests coming next week

June 15th, Weds
Last Day of School/Half Day
5th Grade Promotion
*Details to come
PRINCIPAL'S LETTER

Hello Rockwell Families,

School years move in a seasonal pattern: anticipation and excitement at the start, understanding and resolve in the middle, and in spring, the bittersweet anticipation of the end of this cycle with the inevitable change and accompanying goodbyes. This week, your students (and you) will have a chance to thank our teachers for the wonderful work they have done this year with our students. Like many of you, I remember each of my elementary teachers vividly: their personalities, the projects in their classes, and the lessons they shared with all of us. I join with all of you in thanking all of our teachers from the bottom of my heart for their work this year. 

In our thanks, we prepare for some of the goodbyes looming: In addition to Mrs. Bauman, Mrs. Newport, and Ms. Beaver, we are also bidding farewell to Mr. Claus and Mrs. Jobst. If you have worked with either of them, please do join me in thanking them for their service and their commitment to kids. 

These last few weeks, our students have been engaged in end of year assessments. The third graders have done so well with SBA testing, and grades 4 and 5 are working steadily through their test sessions. We try very hard to make sure that our kids know that these assessments, while one chance to show what they know, are simply one measure. We have tried to assure them not to stress over these assessments, and we offer you the same assurances. We are so proud of them for the effort they have put in. 

Finally, with spring comes field trips, special events, and before to long, Field Day. This is just a reminder to make sure that students are prepared for their days: apply sunscreen at home if desired, send a water bottle with them each day, and make sure that clothing is weather appropriate and that it complies with the school dress code (shorts, dresses and skirts at least fingertip length when standing, and straps at least 2 adult fingers wide on tops). Closed toed shoes are not mandatory, but do help your child remember to come prepared for PE and whatever activities your child participates in. Soccer and flip flops are just not a successful combination!

As always, thank you for sharing your wonderful children with us. We appreciate them so much.

Principal, Rockwell Elementary
TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK - MAY 16-20TH 

It's time for our families to say "thank you" and
celebrate the wonderful staff at Rockwell!  
This year's theme: Because You Lift Us UP! 

Teacher Appreciation Week starts now! May 16th -20th. Each day has a theme, so that the students can join in the fun!  See the FULL Schedule here, but your room parent may modify it a bit/will send something to your class. 


MONDAY
Wake UP with a homemade Breakfast!! 
Kids - bring in paper balloon note that was sent home. Describe your teacher (funny, smart, nice, etc. with black sharpie or link) for the "Words to Lift You UP" posters.  Wear PJ's!
 
TUESDAY
Giddy UP to a Western Potato Bar! (PTA)
Kids - may bring in a school supply for teacher and wear Western Attire.
 
WEDNESDAY 
Sweeten UP with the Candyland Coffee Cart! (PTA)
Kids - may bring in snacks to share (check with room parent). Wear your teachers favorite color.
 
THURSDAY
Surf's UP so catch a wave to the Hawaiian luncheon! (PTA)
Kids - may bring in a flower (real, paper or check with your RP).
Hawaiian Attire.
 
FRIDAY 
Batter UP Hit a homerun at the concession stand! (PTA)
Class choice day! Check with your Room Parent.  Mariner's Attire.

**Can you bring an item or help set up for the Staff Room lunches? We still need some items donated! See links below:

Western Lunch (Tues, 5/17)
Coffee Cart Delivery (Weds, 5/18)
Surfs Up Lunch (Thurs, 5/19)

Thank you!
Renee Lawson (Room Parent Chair)
FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT/HOPELINK FOOD DRIVE - MAY 20TH
Family Movie Night is THIS FRIDAY, May 20th!
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm Rockwell Gym.

Volunteers needed! Volunteers receive free admission, one FREE SNACK and volunteers get chairs to sit on instead of the gym floor!
Sign UP to Volunteer!

Make your ONLINE reservation NOW! Seating is limited to 125 attendees. Any remaining seats will be available at the door on a first come, first served basis.

Donations to Hopelink are requested in exchange for admission. Bring your donations to movie night. Checks must be written out to HopeLink. Check here for a list of the most needed items to END SUMMER HUNGER! 

For those not coming to the movie, donations will be accepted at school during the week. Let's fill our neighbors' pantries for summer meals!

Norman Rockwell PTA is proud to sponsor our next movie night -
Featured Presentation: UP! (Rated PG) 
Parental Guidance is required during the movie.

DOORS OPEN AT 6PM. This is not a drop-off event for children - -only non-perishable food for Hopelink can be dropped off!
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING - NEED YOUR ATTENDANCE
THURSDAY, MAY 26th at 7pm 
Washington State PTSA organization states that each local PTA establish bylaws that we must follow. These bylaws are reviewed and approved by a vote of our PTA members at our May general meeting each year. This allows our PTA to remain compliant with all activities that our school participates in at both the district and local level. 

In order to vote and approve these bylaws, we need a majority vote of at least 10 PTA members at our May 26th General PTA Membership Meeting at 7pm. We would appreciate your attendance at May 26th General Meeting in order to have enough members present to approve these bylaws. The 2016-2017 bylaws and policies can be reviewed here, prior to the meeting. 

Additionally, we will hold Elections at this meeting and vote in incoming board members. Thanks to all who have stepped up to serve on the Rockwell Board for the 2016/17 school year! There are still some remaining chair positions, committees and more areas (non-board) that need volunteers!  Perhaps YOU can help? 

We look forward to seeing you at the General Membership Meeting and appreciate your support!

Rockwell PTA Co-Presidents
STUDENT COUNCIL/ROCKWELL - GIVE TO HOMELESS YOUTH
HELP STUDENT COUNCIL COLLECT ITEMS 
FOR HOMELESS YOUTH:
Drop Boxes outside the office: May 16th - 27th




THIRD GRADE ARTIST VISIT


Last Thursday the Third Graders got a special art lesson from a Seattle Art Museum Visiting Artist, Elizabeth Humphrey!

The kids worked on Yumi Art, using black ink and a large brush on rice paper. They painted a bamboo stalk, and then created a stamp for their signature. Then they mounted this on a black frame to display. The students loved it and were quite proud of their work, and learned about a whole new kind of art.

A huge thank you to our PTA for their generosity, so that enriching, fun programs like this can happen!

Art Docent Chair
ART SHOWCASE - THANK YOU 
Last Thursday's Art Showcase was another tremendous success, and it would not have been so without the help of so many people.

First and foremost, the Art Docents: 
Steven Sexton, Susie Woo, Sonoko Kambara, Anupa Patel, Akiko Yeckley, Julie Balkcum, Holly Hall, Nimmi Tiku, Christine Welton, Sony Jobanputra, Anithat Tallam, Gretchen Knapp, Shannon Kronemeyer, Sirisha Noone, Alexis Turner, Ladeana Huyler, Kelly O'Brien, Amy Suriya, Lacie Henriksen, Melissa Sutton, Melissa Gallagher, Ludmilla Kortchak, Barbara Puk, Angie Ballas, Angela Dangel-Flynn, Laura Lucas, Maya Ami-ad, Kellie Larson, Lara Lockwood, Chamu Kallem, Veronica Nelson, Julie and Terry Dries, Kathryn Bruner, Jami Worsley, Marly Khoury-Haddad, Meghan Moore, Swetha Neelam, Glenda Alderate, Kunimi Bando, Kendra Drake, Victoria Lu, Patricia Donnellan, Tuhina Lal, Kavita Prakash, Dana Harder, Nasia Khan, Taunya Covington, Shanthi Kapila, Shaohua Liu, Radha Dalvi, Jie Li, Jennifer Myrick, Alona Ben-Dor, Rajashri Bedekar, Jeff Crunkilton, Gayle Elam, Angela Emerton.

These amazing and dedicated Art Docents have done monthly art lessons in all the classrooms, and then mounted and put up the students' beautiful art throughout Rockwell's courtyards for the Showcase. When your little Michelangelo comes home with a stack of masterpieces, you'll realize how much work these rock star Docents have put in!

Thank you to all the Teachers and to the Front Office Staff, who have always been helpful, enthusiastic, and eager supporters of the Art Docent program. 

Thank you to Julie Wulf for always helping with the tape research.

Thank you to all Rockwell parents, who encourage and foster a love of art and imagination in their kids, and who come to school and look proudly upon their children's handiwork.

Cheers!
Myriam Pollock
Art Docent Chair
MUSICAL RECAP AND THANK YOU
Thank you to all the families and friends that joined us at the RPAC on April 23rd for the 2016 Rockwell musical Seussical Jr, presented by the Rockwell PTA and Youth Theatre Northwest. I hoped you enjoyed it!

BIG thanks to the following VERY special volunteers: Susie Anania, Taunya Covington, Angie Ballas, Marly Haddad, Jan Stemple, Jenn Myrick, Sally Alfred, Scott Hendricks, Mandi Bhatia, Myriam Pollock, Angela Emerton, Barbara Chinn, Mona Sterling, Judith Breed, Kavita Prakash, Abhi Narayanan, Mike Butler, Alex Leites, Dawn & Brandon Hildebrand, and Ryan Butler from RMS. Also big thanks to all teachers and staff for their different contributions but especially to Mrs. Bauman, Mrs. Davenport & Mrs. McKay. We couldn't have made it without your help!

Congratulations to our actors! I feel extremely proud of each of the 49
Seussical cast members. Thanks to them and their families for making the time and effort commitment needed to make the musical a success. Nothing got in the way of our amazing show! And I mean nothing! Regardless of so many last minute, unexpected situations our cast members delivered 2 great performances. BRAVO!!!

Rockwell students entering 4th and 5th grades this fall, please consider the 2017 musical as an spring enrichment activity. Watch for news next winter on which show the school will do in 2017 and join! You won't regret the decision, it's a promise!

Beatriz Gomez-Albadawi
2016 Rockwell Musical Producer
Seussical Jr.
YEARBOOK TEAM NEEDED NEXT YEAR
It takes a village . . . . . to create a fabulous yearbook!



Thank you to all those who contributed photos to create this year's book. Your kids are going to love it. A special shout out to Gaby Olson and Maya Shani for being my co-editors in crime - the book would not have gotten done without you.

We are recruiting for next year's yearbook editors - we have broken the yearbook job down into its four main jobs. Except photography, all the jobs can be done at home, at any time of day. And the LifeTouch software is easy to use.

Yearbook layout lead - are you a big picture person? All of the pages you see in our yearbook are filled with templates we've created over the past five years. You can use these or create new to set the stage for the general book layout.

Photography lead - coordinating photographs from each grade and all the special Rockwell events will help us get an equal representation of all students at Rockwell.

Yearbook creation (Position filled by Maya Ami-Ad - Thank you!) do you love to scrapbook? Well our yearbook is just an 88-page scrapbook. If you like to create the special pages and select the photos use, then this is the job for you.

Yearbook sales - are you great with a spreadsheet? The bulk of the yearbook sales are now during the back to school days. We just someone who can create the yearbook sales and distribution report.

Contact me to learn more -
Minerva Butler
SCHOOL POOL - WALK/BIKE/CARPOOL TO SCHOOL 
We've been having such beautiful weather in the Pacific Northwest and it is GREAT to see so many of our students taking advantage of it by walking and biking to school!

One of the benefits of SchoolPool is to reduce the amount of traffic around Rockwell. A way to do that is to create a CarPool or Walking Bus in your neighborhood and share the responsibility of driving/walking students to school with other friends and neighbors. If you'd like to get a walking school bus or car pool started in your neighborhood, check out the SchoolPool blog here.

Thanks for participating!

P.S. Don't forget to sign this weeks block on the school pool calendar. They will be collected at the end of the month (and earn money for our school)!

BOX TOPS AND LABELS FOR EDUCATION COLLECTION

Box Tops and Labels for Education will be collected the week of 
May 23rd and you may also BRING THEM TO MOVIE NIGHT. While looking through the pantry for items to donate to Hopelink on Movie Night, be sure to clip and save those pink Box Tops and the Labels off Goldfish crackers and Campbell Soup products.

This is the LAST Labels for Education collection ever, as the program is being discontinued. We hope to collect enough labels to get more playground equipment for the students to enjoy!

Thank you for making these programs a success at Rockwell!

Stacy Hatch and Beth Batig
Co VP's FUNdraising
FREE ELL CLASSES FOR PARENTS

The Partnership team will offer ELL Classes for Rockwell parents. We are currently planning one level, but if we have enough participants and teachers it could be two levels.
 
Who: Rockwell parents who want to learn English

What: English conversation

When: 9:30~10:30am on Tuesday, May 17th and Thursday, May 19th

Where: 8275 166th Ave NE, #202, Redmond, WA *Childcare provided.
 
We are looking for volunteers who will help participants build English skills or childcare during classes. Please contact below.
 
As part of the English Partnership Team: 
Lynette Friesen - English Language Teacher 
MATH CHALLENGE #14 & 15

Congratulations to the following winners for Math Challenge #14: 
Aarvin R, Soya M, Liam S, Sannvi T, Saankhya T, Sebastian K, Sonia L, Zoe G, Ziang T, Aditya V, Kirill U, and Medha K.
 
The last Math Challenge (#15) for this school year is now available for download here. All qualified submissions will receive a prize. The due date for this Math Challenge is May 20, 2016 by 3pm

Let the challenge begin!
EXTRA PIECES OF INFORMATION - IMPORTANT DATES & MORE

  • Thank you for your spirit wear orders! The tees are being printed and will be delivered to your teachers this week.
     
  • Middle School Math Curriculum! Lake Washington School District invites the public to review and comment on middle school math materials. These materials are under consideration for adoption as math curriculum for grades 6-8. Click Here for more details. 
  • Local Summer Camps (examples: basketball at RHS, soccer, and more) can be found on the Peachjar E-Flyers site. Check your Peachjar emails regularly for new info!
  • 5TH GRADE PARENTS: Students turning 11 years old before Sept. 6 (entering 6th grade!)  are required to have an additional TDaP Booster to help prevent tetanus, pertussis and whooping cough. Ensure a smooth transition to Middle School and get this vaccine after your child turns 11.  Please bring a copy of the vaccine to the front office, so we can update your student's profile. 
  • ROCKWELL IS A 2015 WASHINGTON ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER. READ MORE. 
  • Sign up here to volunteer for recess Running Club - spring is here and the kids want to run!! Tues/TH at lunchtime. Volunteer whenever you can!
QUICK LINKS - IN EVERY ISSUE
-View Rockwell's Peachjar E-Flyers - a great resource for community events, sports, classes and summer camps.

-AmazonSmile: Give a little back to Rockwell PTA by using
our AmazonSmile link!  Bookmark it and use the link every time you shop. 
 
-Volunteer Application:   LWSD Volunteer application. It's easy to complete and is good for 2 years. Fill yours out or check your renewal status today!

-Rockwell PTA Facebook Page: Stay connected and updated on  Rockwell PTA & school info. Stop by and "Like" us!  

-Bookmark & Register for your account on our  
New PTA  Website. Calendar info, announcements, forms, ordering yearbooks and spiritwear, and much more!
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Bugle Article Submissions Welcome
  
The Beagle Bugle welcomes article submissions from students and parents.  Student journalists may submit articles about current events, students opinion-editorials and poems or short stories.  Parents may submit articles about PTA events and school related topics. 

Any article that is unrelated to PTA or Rockwell must be approved by the Lake Washington School District, and, upon approval, will be posted in the Peachjar eflyer system.  The Lake Washington School District website has more information on the submission and approval process.

Short pieces will be edited for inclusion in the Bugle, longer pieces will be posted on the website with a link in the Bugle.  The Deadline for submissions for the next weekly Bugle is the preceding Thursday.  The Bugle Staff reserves the right to be selective regarding the materials that are publicized.

Contact the Bugle staff or submit articles at rockwellbugle@gmail.com. 
  
Sincerely,
Angie Ballas
Beagle Bugle Editor
Norman Rockwell Elementary PTA